GIFT 


\ 


MAN-OF-WAR  LIFE: 


\   BOY'S    EXPERIENCE 


IN  THE   UNITED   STATES   NAV¥, 


DURING  A  VOYAGE  AROUND  THE  WORLD, 


IN  A  SHIP  OF  THE  LINE. 


BY     CHA8.     NORDHOFF. 
AUTHOR  OF  "THE  MERCHANT  VESSEL;"    "WHALING  Ai 

FL3II1NG." 


NEW  YORK: 

DOED-,   MEAD   &    COMPANY, 
751 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tho  year  1855,  "bj 

MOORE,    WILSTACH,    KEYS    &    CO., 

In  t  .e  Clerk's  office  c.f  tho  District  Court  of  tho  United  States  for  the 
Southern  Dislrict  cf  Ohio. 


GIFT 


U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


PREFACE. 


THE  popular  conception  of  a  sailor  is — a  creature 
who  spins  yarns.  Like  the  silk-worin,  he  is  sup- 
posed to  be  forever  enveloping  himself  in  a  web, 
spun  out  of  his  own  brain. 

In  accordance  with  this  idea,  when  some  two 
years  ago  the  writer  of  these  pages  returned  home, 
after  an  absence  of  nine  years  at  sea,  he  was  con- 
sidered by  the  young  folks  a  fit  subject  to  levy  upon 
for  a  story.  But,  unluckily,  yarns  are  not  ever 
ready  on  demand,  at  beck  and  nod. 

It  requires  various  peculiarities  in  the  surround- 
ings, certain  favoring  circumstances  as  to  time  and 
place,  to  draw  out  your  real  old  tar.  Let  the  gale 
blow,  and  the  good  ship  plow  deeply  through  th<> 
rugged  seas,  as  he  lies  snugly  ensconced  under  his 
huge  pea-jacket,  protected  by  stout  bulwarks  from 
the  cold  blast  and  drenching  spray,  with  the  bright 
stars  looking  kindly  down  upon  him,  and  you  may 
be  sure  of  a  yarn.  There  is  somewhat  suggestive 
(Hi) 

M6S6705 


IV  PREFACE. 

in  the  scene,  and  the  memories  of  other  times  pome 
freely  to  him,  as  though  driven  back  on  the  breeze 
which  roars  through  the  rising  overhead. 

But  sitting  at  home,  by  the  fireside,  among  his 
friends,  there  is  nothing  to  remind  him  of  his  past 
life  ;  the  incitement  is  wanting — the  yarn  can't  be 
spun. 

Not  being  able,  in  any  other  way,  to  gratify  the 
wishes  of  certain  of  my  young  friends,  I  have 
endeavored  here  to  jot  down  such  reminiscences  as 
will  not,  it  is  trusted,  prove  entirely  uninteresting. 
To  give  a  sailor's  impressions  of  a  sailor's  life, 
"  nothing  extenuating,  nor  aught  setting  down  in 
malice,"  has  been  the  aim.  Neither  exaggerating 
its  hardships — they  do  not  need  it — nor  highly 
coloring  its  delights,  whatever  those  may  be,  the 
very  plainest  truth  has  been  thought  sufficient  for 
the  purpose  in  view. 

With  one  more  remark,  the  Book  is  handed  over 
to  the  reader.  It  is  to  beg  indulgence  for  the  fre- 

o  o 

quent  occurrence  of  the  first  person  singular  in 
these  pages.  The  nature  of  the  story  renders  it 
impossible  to  avoid  this.  And  I  can  only  repeat 
what  was  once  said  by  an  Irishman  under  some- 
what similar  circumstances — "Knock  out  my  J's, 
and  what  would  be  the  use  of  me?" 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

V.  HY  I  went  to  Sea,  and  how  —  Difficulties  in  getting  a 
place  on  board  Ship,  --<•.-.  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

jjfe  on  board  a  Guardo  —  How  "  Green  Hands "  are 
fitted  out  —  The  Outfitter's  game  —  Free  Trade  and  Sail- 
ors'  Rights  —  Sickness  on  V>ard  ship,  -  -  -  -  24 

CHAPTER  III. 

At  Sea  at  last  —  Hunting  a  Mes?  —  Some  account  of  the 
Vessel  and  her  Crew,  • 42 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  first  Night  Watch  —  Inspecting  the  Boys  — How  the 
Commander  cured  a  Lad  of  Chewing  Tobacco  —  A  grand 
Row  in  the  Boys'  Mess  —  Breaking  in  the  Green  Hands 
—  "All  Hands  to  Muster," 67 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Every  man  his  own  Washerwoman  —  A  word  concerning 
Thieving  on  Board  Ship  —  The  Northeast  Trades  —  Sail- 
ors turn  Tailors  —  The  Doldrums  —  Chasing  the  Wind,  -  36 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Crossing  the  Line — An  old  Topman's  Yarn  —  How  Jem- 
my Squarefoot  ran  away  with  a  Sailor  —  Fourth  of  July 
at  Sea —  Nearing  our  Port  —  Rio  de  Janeiro,  -  -  -  102 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Life  in  Harbor  —  Bumboats  —  At  Sea  again  — What  Sailors 
Eat,  and  how  V  ictuals  are  Cooked  —  The  First  Flogging 
on  Board, 114 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  South-East  Trades— A  Gale  off  the  Cape,  and  what 
succeeded  it  —  St.  Pauls  and  New  Amsterdam  —  Return 
to  fine  Weather  —  Water-Spouts, 142 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Arrival  at  Java  Head  —  Javanese  Bum-boats  —  Batavia  — 
The  Native  Boatmen  —  Sail  for  China  —  Sea  Serpents  — 
Becalmed  off   Borneo  —  Nearly  Ashore  —  Short  Allow- 
ance of  Water  — The  Commodore's  Water-Cure  —  Wormy    C 
Bread,     ...  .  ...  16) 


CONTENT?  Vii 

CHAPTER  X. 

Death  >f  a  Lieutenant  —  Funeral  at  Sea— Pedro  Blan- 
co—China—The Pilot— Lintin  Bay  —  The  Bocca 
'Rigris —  Chinese  Forts  —  Junks  —  The  Tartars  —  Bum- 
boats  —The  River  —  Chinese  Children  —The  Duck  Boats 
—A  Visit  to  Manilla --The  Cholera  on  Board  — Re- 
turn to  Macao  —  Amoy  —  The  Crew  ask  for  "  Liberty," 
and  are  refused  —  The  Chinese  Governor  —  Chusan,  -  175 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Chinese  Farm  —  Sail  for  Japan — Yeddo  Bay  —  The 
Japanese  —  Their  general  Appearance  —  Dress  —  Man- 
ners —  Nobles  —  Warriors  —  Serfs  —  Boats  —  Receive 
Supplies  —  Incidents  of  Stay  —  Towed  out  of  the  Harbor 
by  Japanese  Boats, 192 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Sandwich  Islands  —  Honolulu  — The  People  — The 
Labors  of  the  Missionary  —  Dexterity  of  the  Natives 
in  Swimming  and  Diving —  Leave  for  the  South  Ameri- 
can Coast, 211 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Sail  for  Valparaiso  —  The  Vale  of  Paradise  — Two  Sun- 
days in  one  Week  —  Liberty  —  Jack  Ashore  —  Lassoing 
a  Sailor, 222 

CHAPTER  XIV, 

Departure  from  Valparaiso  —  Callao  —  California  —  Mon- 
terey —  San  Pedro  —  San  Francisco  »~  Prizes,  -  -  285 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Homeward-bound  —  Good-by  to   California  —  Valparaiso 
—  Another  Liberty,  and  its  Consequences.  -  -  25] 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Leave  Rio  de  Janeiro — The  Last  Passage — Norfolk — Paid 
off,    -        -        -  267 


MAN-OF-WAR  LIFE! 


OB 


A  BOY'S  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  U.  S.  NAVY 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHY  I  went  to  Sea,  and  how  —  Difficulties  in  getting  a  place 
on  board  Ship. 

I  WENT  to  school  until  I  was  thirteen,  when,  at  my  own 
choice,  I  was  apprenticed  to  the  printing  business.  I  was 
fond  of  reading — a  regular  book-worm — and  printing 
seemed  to  me,  therefore,  a  most  delightful  trade.  But 
my  constitution  would  not  bear  the  confinement.  Ere  I 
was  six  months  in  the  "  office,"  I  was  more  weakly  and 
puny  than  I  had  ever  been,  and  was  taking  medicine  for 
general  debility.  I  became  alarmed,  as  my  friends 
thought  I  would  get  the  consumption  if  I  continued  at 
my  chosen  trade,  and  began  to  cast  about  for  some  means 
to  recruit  my  health.  The  perusal  of  books  of  travel 
had  always  given  me  great  pleasure,  and  in  them  I  had 
frequently  read  glowing  accounts  of  the  invigorating  and 
restoring  powers  of  the  sea  air  and  tropical  climes.  And 
BO.  one  day  the  idea  occurred  to  me  to  try  tl:<»  salt  water. 


10  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

I  had  always  had  an  absorbing  desire  to  see  somewhat  of 
the  great  world,  and  the  thought  of  doing  this  in  the 
capacity  of  a  sailor,  although  now  for  the  first  time  en- 
tertained, pleased  me  exceedingly,  and  soon  took  entire 
possession  of  my  mind.  Sleeping  or  waking,  I  thought 
of  nothing  but  the  sea,  ships,  sailors,  and  the  wonders  of 
foreign  lands. 

So  much  for  the  cause  which  led  me  to  choose  the  rov- 
ing life  of  a  sailor,  or  rather,  of  the  reasons  by  which  I 
sought  to  justify  to  myself  the  step  I  was  about  to 
take  — that  of  "  running  away  "  from  home.  In  common 
with  most  Western  boys,  I  had  very  crude  and  ill-defined 
notions  of  the  new  phase  of  existence  in  which  I  was 
about  to  embark.  Marryat's,  and  Cooper's,  and  other 
approved  sea  novels  and  tales  are  delightful  reading, 
but  scarcely  calculated  to  give  one  true  views  of  the  life 
they  pretend  to  describe. 

Having  managed  to  save  out  of  my  earnings  in  the 
printing  office  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars,  I  thought 
myself  amply  provided  with  funds  for  an  independent 
start  in  the  world.  After  due  consideration,  therefore, 
of  the  step  I  was  about  to  take,  and  laying  out  my  plans 
as  far  ahead  as  I  could,  one  bright  September  morning, 
in  the  year  1 8 — ,  I  took  my  money  in  my  pocket,  two 
clean  shirts  and  a  pair  of  socks  in  a  bundle,  and  engaged 
passage  on  a  steamer  about  to  start  for  Wheeling,  Va. 
From  there,  I  proceeded  to  Baltimore,  which  place  I 
had  determined  upon  as  the  one  in  which  to  make  my 
first  tr'al  at  obtaining  a  situation  on  board  ship.  Of  my 
sensations  upon  finding  myself  actually  le.iA  ing  home,  it 
is  not  necessary  here  to  speak,  except  to  say  that  the 


TRYINUTOS111F.  11 

feeling  of  satisfaction  at  being  about  to  attain  a  cher- 
ished desire,  drowned  out  all  regrets.  I  threw  myself 
upon  my  own  resources,  without  any  feeling  of  alarm  at 
the  result,  because  I  had  often  heard  it  said,  that  *'  in 
this  country  no  industrious  person  could  starve,"  and  in 
simple  faith,  I  determined  not  to  fail  in  industry  or  dili- 
gence. 

Arrived  in  Baltimore,  I  spent  the  first  day  in  wandering 
about  the  docks  and  quays,  looking  up  at  the  vessels, 
watching  the  sailors  hoisting  in  or  out  cargoes,  or  busy 
about  their  various  other  duties,  and  listening  admiringly 
to  the  songs  with  which  they  enlivened  their  labors.  I 
made  choice,  in  my  own  mind,  of  a  large  vessel,  from 
which  were  being  landed  crates  and  boxes,  and  which  I 
therefrom  took  to'  be  a  China  ship,  as  the  one  on  board 
which  I  would  on  the  morrow  apply  for  a  berth.  And 
after  looking  up  at  her  tall  masts,  and  wondering  if  I 
should  ever  learn  to  climb  the  rigging  which  supported 
them,  I  returned  to  the  hotel  where  I  had  stayed  the 
previous  night,  got  my  supper,  and  went  to  bed,  praying 
first  for  success  in  my  effort  to  get  a  place  on  board  ship. 
The  next  morning  about  eight  'o'clock,  I  went  on  board 
my  China  ship,  and,  after  looking  about  decks  a  little, 
walked  up  to  a  gentleman  whom  I  heard  called  captain, 
and  making  him  my  best  bow,  informed  him  that  I  was 
desirous  of  obtaining  a  place  as  cabin  boy  or  sailor  boy 
in  his  vessel,  and  asked  him  to  give  me  a  berth  on 
board. 

"  Ship  you,  you  little  scamp !"  said  he ;  "  not  I ;  we 

on't  carry  runaway  boys.     Clear  out  this  minut. 
don't  let  me  see  you  about  the  ship  again."     Ami  tlio 


12  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

captain  pointed  significantly  to  the  gangway,  as  the  ap- 
propriate place  for  my  instant  exit. 

Without  daring  to  exchange  a  word,  I  turned  about 
and  hastened  on  shore.  My  heart  was  full.  This  was 
my  first  disappointment,  and  it  was  a  severe  one.  I  had 
pleased  myself  with  the  idea  that  I  should  get  a  place  ' 
on  that  ship,  just  for  the  asking,  and  had  never  con- 
templated the  possibility  of  such  a  rebuff. 

"  But  never  mind,"  thought  I  to  myself,  "  try  again — 
better  luck  next  time." 

But  my  better  luck  did  not  come  that  day.  I  walked 
about  the  quays  all  day,  applying  on  board  nearly  every 
vessel  I  could  get  on  board  of — but  no  one  wanted  a 
boy.  Some  "had  too  many  lazy  boys  already;"  others 
"  wouldn't  give  a  boy  his  grub ;"  and  others  yet  did  not 
condescend  even  to  allow  me  to  state  my  business ;  but 
as  soon  as  my  head  was  fairly  over  the  rail,  ordered  me 
back  on  shore  with  : 

"  We  want  no  loafing  boys  here." 

Meeting  with  no  better  success  than  this,  and  having 
made  application  on  board  nearly  every  vessel  of  any 
size,  in  the  harbor,  I  was  forced  to  the  conviction  that  in 
Baltimore  I  should  not  be  able  to  attain  my  object.  I 
thought  of  Philadelphia,  as  the  place  where  I  would  try 
next.  I  had  read  of  the  kindness  of  the  Quakers,  and 
having  heard  Philadelphia  called  the  "  Quaker  City,"  in- 
dulged the  hope  that  there  I  should  meet  with  a  better 
reception  than  had  befallen  me  in  Baltimore,  and  should 
perhaps  be  able  to  induce  some  kind-hearted  captain  to 
take  me  with  him. 

Finding  that  a  boat  would  start  for  Philadelphia  at 


NO     BOYS     WANTED.  13 

seven  o'clock  that  evening,  I  engaged  my  passage  on 
board.  On  examining  into  the  condition  of  my  finances, 
after  paying  my  passage,  I  found  that  I  had  but  two 
dollars  and  a  half  remaining.  My  heart  sank  a  little, 
when  I  saw  myself  getting  so  near  the  end  of  my  means. 

It  was  a  dark  night,  and  as  I  sat  alone  in  a  corner  of 
the  boat's  cabin  after  starting,  I  had  abundant  time  to 
consider  on  my  situation.  I  was  obliged  to  confess  to 
myself  that  matters  had  not  gone  so  well  as  my  over- 
sanguine  hopes  had  led  me  to  expect.  I  was  alone  among 
strangers,  without  friends,  and  nearly  at  the  end  of  my 
means.  Suppose  I  could  find  no  captain  in  Philadelphia 
willing  to  take  me  with  him.  I  pondered  awhile  on  this 
view  of  the  matter,  until  my  heart  grew  far  too  heavy  for 
comfort.  At  last  the  thought  occurred  to  me,  that  as  my 
money  was  so  nearly  out,  I  would  waste  no  more  time  at 
present  in  what  appeared  to  be  rather  an  uncertain  search 
for  a  ship,  but  would  at  once  seek  work  in  a  printing 
office  in  Philadelphia,  where  I  would  be  earning  a  liveli- 
hood, and  be  ready  for  any  opportunity  to  ship,  that 
chance  or  my  own  inquiries  might  throw  in  my  way. 
This  idea  raised  my  spirits  a  good  deal,  and  so,  repeating 
to  myself  the  additional  comforting  reflection  that  "  in 
America  there  was  work  for  all  willing  hands,"  I  sank 
to  sleep  in  my  corner,  murmuring  a  prayer  to  God  for 
success  in  my  efforts  on  the  following  day. 

After  changing  from  boat  to  cars,  and  back  to  another 
boat,  we  finally  arrived  at  Philadelphia  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  As  soon  as  it  was  broad  daylight.  I  took 
my  bundle  in  my  hand  and  went  on  shore.  There  were 
but  few  ships  ranged  along  the  wharves — a  fact  win- -h 


14  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

added  strength  to  my  resolution  to  seek  work  on  shore  for 
the  present.  Walking  up  Dock-street,  I  espied  on  the 
corner  of  Third,  a  sign,  "  Daily  Sun,"  and  immediately 
under  the  bulletin-board  a  notice,  "  Boy  wanted — applj 
within,"  Without  stopping  to  consider,  I  walked  imme 
diately  up  the  front  steps  and  into  the  office,  and  asked 
a  gentleman  there  if  he  would  please  give  me  the  situa 
tion  which  I  saw  by  his  notice  was  vacant.  After  cate- 
chising me  concerning  my  whereabouts  and  my  abilities 
to  do — (I  being  careful  not  to  tell  him  that  I  had  left 
home  for  the  purpose  of  going  to  sea) — he  concluded  to 
take  me  on  trial,  promising  me  a  permanent  situation  if 
I  proved  trustworthy  and  competent.  Learning  that  I 
had  only  that  morning  arrived  in  the  city  and  was  a  per- 
fect stranger  in  it,  he  kindly  procured  me  a  boarding 
place  with  a  gentleman  who  was  also  engaged  in  the 
office,  under  whose  hospitable  roof  I  found  a  home  during 
my  stay  in  Philadelphia. 

That  evening  I  was  inducted  into  my  new  post,  which 
was  that  of  "  devil,"  or  boy  of  all  work.  My  labors 
lasted  from  six,  p.  M.,  until  the  time  of  going  to  press, 
generally  about  midnight,  and  this  it  was  arranged  should 
pay  my  board.  To  defray  my  other  expenses,  for  cloth- 
ing, etc.,  I  was  allowed  to  set  type  during  the  day  time; 
and  was  shortly  able  to  earn  easily  from  two  to  four  dol- 
lars per  week.  I  was  thus,  through  the  kindness  of 
strangers,  placed  in  a  situation  in  which  I  was  able  to 
provide  abundantly  for  all  my  wants ;  and  I  resolved  to 
render  myself  worthy  of  this  kindness  by  upright, 
steady  conduct,  and  was  happy  in  the  consciousness  of 
having  accomplished  this,  and  secured  the  esteem  of  all 


A      WORD     OF     WARNING     TO     BOYS.  15 

who  knew  me,  up  to  the  time  when  I  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing  a  place  on  board  ship. 

As  before  said,  my  desire  to  become  a  sailor  I  confided 
to  no  one ;  yet  it  continued  as  strongly  within  me  as 
ever,  and  I  generally  spent  my  Saturday  afternoons  (a 
holiday  for  the  employees  on  a  daily  newspaper)  down 
among  the  shipping,  occasionally  asking  for  a  berth  on 
board  vessels  nearly  ready  for  sea,  but  invariably  without 
success.  I  was  not  discouraged,  however,  but  determined 
to  bide  my  time.  Thorough  and  persevering  trial,  how- 
ever, as  well  as  after  experience,  served  to  convince  me 
of  a  fact  which  I  will  here  dwell  a  little  upon,  as  a  cau- 
tion to  youth  who  look  forward  to  going  to  sea,  viz.:  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  boy,  unaided  by  outside  in  • 
fluence,  to  obtain  a  place  on  board  a  merchant  vessel 
And  this  for  the  following  reason :  this  class  of  vessels 
is  at  best  but  poorly  manned,  carrying,  in  sailors'  par- 
lance, "  no  more  cats  than  catch  mice  " — that  is,  no 
m  >i  e  men  than  are  barely  sufficient  to  do  the  necessary 
work.  Captains  are,  therefore,  extremely  loth  to  en- 
cumber themselves  with  green  hands,  whom  it  will  be 
necessary  to  teach  their  duties,  and  who  will  be  worthless 
at  any  rate  for  the  first  voyage.  To  obtain  a  situation 
even  as  a  cabin  boy  on  board  a  merchant  vessel,  it  is  ne- 
cessary that  the  lad's  friends  should  have  some  influence 
with  the  owners  or  officers.  The  supply  of  boys  in 
American  ports  and  vessels  is  always  much  greater  than 
the  demand ;  so  much  so,  that  lads  who  have  been  three 
or  four  years  at  sea,  and  have  about  them  an  air  of 
knowing  smartness  which  is  not  to  be  counterfeited,  fre- 
quently find  it  a  difficult  matter  to  secure  a  berth. 
2 


16  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

English  merchant  vessels  are  compelled  by  law  to  carry 
a  certain  number  of  apprentices.  These  receive  little 
pay,  hard  fare,  and  the  severest  of  treatment ;  they  are, 
therefore,  always  anxious  to  runaway  to  American  vessels, 
where  they  are  very  generally  liked  and  well  i^ceived, 
because,  although  in  general  far  less  intelligent  than 
American  lads,  they  are  inured  to  labor  and  hardship, 
and  consequently,  much  more  useful  than  the  latter. 
And  these  English  runaways  fill  every  vacant  place  in 
American  vessels.  I  have  seen  a  dozen  boys  come  on 
board  a  vessel  in  a  single  day,  in  New  Orleans,  begging 
the  captain  to  ship  them,  but  without  success ;  and  the 
same  holds  good  of  all  other  seaports. 

I  soon  became  convinced  that  I  should  not  be  able  to 
succeed  in  my  desires  of  going  to  sea  in  a  merchant  ves- 
sel, unless  I  could  enlist  my  new  friends  in  my  favor ; 
for  when  I  applied  to  the  owner  of  a  vessel,  to  whom  I 
was  one  day  shown,  he  at  once  refused  to  ship  me, 
because  I  was  forced  to  acknowledge  that  I  could  bring 
neither  parents  nor  guardian  to  him  to  engage  me  ;  and 
as  I  was  a  minor,  I  could  not  make  an  engagement 
myself.  But  when  I  hinted  the  matter  to  my  friends, 
they  were  so  unanimous  and  decided  in  their  disap- 
probation, that  I  did  not  dare  to  push  my  entreaties 
with  them. 

About  this  time,  a  paragraph  went  the  rounds  of  th  ^ 

press,  to  the  effect,  that  the  United  States  ship  C ,  of 

seventy-four  guns,  had  just  been  put  in  commission,  un 
der  the  command  of  Commodore  B — ,  and  would  shortly 
proceed  on  a  voyage  to  China,  and  Japan,  making  a  stay 
of  some  time  in  the  East  Indian  seas,  and  finally  returniDg 


THE     NAVAL     RENDEZVOUS.  17 

home  by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  thus  circumnavigating  the 
globe:  and,  furthermore,  that  the  naval  rendezvous  were 
at  that  time  shipping  hands  for  this  vessel.  Here  was  a 
voyage  such  as  I  had  been  longing  for.  To  visit  the 
East  Indies  and  China,  had  always  seemed  to  me  the 
most  desirable  object  of  my  life.  And  then  to  circum- 
navigate the  globe.  Shades  of  Magellan  and  Cook,  was 
it  in  my  power  to  follow  in  your  illustrious  foot*  teps ! 
This  was,  indeed,  far  transcending  my  most  san$/uine 
hopes.  I  determined  within  myself  that  such  a  chance 
should  not  pass  by  me. 

I  lost  no  time  in  hunting  up  the  naval  rendezvous. 
Consulting  a  directory,  I  found  it  to  be  located  on 
Front-street.  I  immediately  proceeded  thither,  and  made 
application  to  ship,  but  was  told  that  they  were  not  yet 
prepared  to  ship  boys.  Calling  a  few  days  afterward,  T 
was  informed  that  a  sufficient  number  of  boys  were 
already  enlisted ;  and  even  if  they  were  shipping,  they 
would  be  unable  to  take  me,  unless  I  was  accompanied 
by  my  parents  or  guardian.  This  was  a  severe  blow  to 
my  eager  hopes. 

Baffled,  but  not  disheartened,  and  more  determined 
than  ever  not  to  be  overcome  this  time,  I  set  my  wits  to 
work  to  consider  the  next  step.  But  I  was  completely  at 
a  loss,  and  finally,  in  my  extremity,  frankly  laid  my  case 
1  efore  the  recruiting  officer.  After  listening  iu patiently 
to  my  short  story,  he  said  gruffly : 

••  Well,  I  can't  do  anything  for  you.     You're  '.oo  late, 
and  we  would  not  dare  to  ship  you  now,  even  if  /our  folks 
were  willing,  without  you  got  a  special  order  to  that 
e fleet  IV- >m  Commodore  Klliott." 
2 


18  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

This  was  said  by  way  of  an  annihilator  to  my  hopes, 
but  it  suggested  to  me  a  new  idea,  which  I  immediately 
proceeded  to  work  upon.  There  existed,  at  that  time,  in 
Philadelphia,  a  great  deal  of  political  excitement,  aris- 
ing out  of  the  then  recent  Native  American  riots.  The 
Sun  newspaper,  upon  which  I  had  so  fortunately  gotten  a 
situation,  was  the  organ  of  the  Native  American  party, 
and  its  editor,  Mr.  Lewis  C.  Levin,  had  just  been  elected 
member  of  Congress  from  one  of  the  Philadelphia  dis- 
tricts. He  was  an  intimate  political  and  personal  friend 
of  Commodore  Elliott,  at  that  time  commandant  of  the 
Navy  Yard,  and  I  felt  certain  that  the  latter  would  not 
hesitate  to  grant  any  request  of  Mr.  Levin.  Him,  there- 
fore, I  determined  to  bring  to  my  assistance.  Part  of  my 
daily  duty  was  to  carry  to  his  house  proof-sheets  of  his 
editorials,  for  his  final  revision.  On  such  occasions,  I  gene- 
rally sat  in  his  apartment  while  he  was  looking  over  the 
proofs,  in  order  to  receive  any  instructions  he  might  desire 
to  send  to  the  office.  I  took  occasion  one  day  when  he  was 
in  a  good  humor,  having  just  pitched  into  foreigners  to  his 
own  entire  satisfaction,  to  lay  my  case  before  him,  tell- 
ing him  briefly  that  I  entertained  a  very  strong  desire  to 
go  to  sea ;  that  the  United  States  ship  C —  was  about  to 
sail  on  just  such  a  voyage  as  I  desired  to  go,  but  that  the 
written  permission  of  Commodore  Elliott  was  needed  to 
make  my  enlistment  practicable.  I  finally  asked  him, 
as  a  very  great  favor,  to  give  me  a  few  lines  to  the  com- 
modore, stating  to  the  latter  that  I  was  not  an  appren- 
tice to  the  office,  and  asking  his  intervention  in  my 
behalf.  Levin,  who  knew  nothing  of  me  beyond  the  fact 
that  I  was  the  office  boy  who  brought  his  editorials,  and 


COMMODORE     ELLIOTT.  19 

who  was  too  anxious  a  seeker  after  popularity  to  indulge 
himself  in  a  point-blank  refusal,  even  to  a  boy,  after  a 
little  consideration,  wrote  me  a  few  lines,  as  follows : 
"DEAR  COMMODORE: — The  bearer,   our  office  boy,  or 

devil,'  desires  to  go  to  China  in  the  United  States  ship 
— .     He  says,  that  in  order  to  do  this,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  obtain  your  permission.     Please  give  him  a  talk- 
ing to." 

This  was  hardly  what  I  wished  but  I  made  my  very  best 
bow  and  "  thank  you,"  and  determined  to  make  the  better 
use  of  it.  I  made  no  delay  in  bringing  myself  to  the 
notice  of  Commodore  Elliott.  He  was  frequently  at  our 
office,  and  it  was  only  a  day  or  two  after  I  received  Mr. 
Levin's  note,  that  I  found  him  alone  in  the  "  sanctum," 
when  I  brought  in  the  morning  papers.  Handing  him 
the  papers  I  took  the  same  .opportunity  to  put  the  note 
into  his  hand.  After  deliberately  reading  it  over,  he 
turned  to  me  and  said : 

"  You  young  scoundrel,  you  want  to  ruin  yourself,  do 
you  ?  You  want  to  go  to  sea.  Haven't  you  a  father  or 
mother  ?" 

"  No,  sir." 

"  No  guardian  ?" 

"  No,  sir." 

"What  do  you  do  here?" 

"  I  am  errand  boy,  and  also  set  type,  sir.'1 

"  Why  do  you  want  to  go  to  sea  ?" 

"  I  want  to  see  the  world." 

"  You  want  to  see  the  deuce !  You  ought  to  be  sent  to 
ho  house  of  correction." 

This  not  being  an  argument,  but  simply  an  assertion. 


20  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

I  made  no  answer  to.  The  commodore  'turned  to  his  pa- 
pers with  an  air  as  though  he  thought  he  had  settled  that 
matter,  while  I  stood  silently  by  his  chair,  convinced  that 
he  had  not,  and  waiting  for  a  final  answer.  Seeing  that 
I  made  no  move  to  go  away,  he  finally  said  to  me,  but  in 
a  kinder  tone  of  voice : 

"  Look  here  my  lad  ;  take  my  advice  :  get  this  crazy 
notion  out  of  your  head ;  learn  your  trade ;  studj  your 
books ;  continue  a  good  boy,  and  you  will  grow  up  to  be 
a  useful  man.  If  you  go  to  sea,  you  will  be  nothing  all 
your  life  but  a  vagabond,  drunken  sailor — a  dog  for  every 
one  to  kick  at."  Then  getting  up  to  leave,  he  added: 
*'  Now,  think  of  what  I  have  said.  You  don't  want  to 
become  a  dirty,  drunken  old  sailor — a  miserable  fellow 
who  can't  be  admitted  into  any  decent  society.  Stay  in 
your  place,  and  be  contented  to  let  those  who  are  bigger 
fools  go  to  sea.  Look  at  me  ;  I  have  been  in  the  navy 
all  my  life,  and  an  officer,  which  is  more  than  you  would 
ever  get  to  be ;  but  see  what  a  miserable  old  hunks  1  am. 
Boy,  if  I  had  a  dozen  sons,  I  would  gladly  see  them  all 
in  their  graves,  sooner  than  at  sea." 

With  these  words,  he  went  out  of  the  room,  leaving  me 
disappointed,  despairing  almost,  of  accomplishing  my 
object ;  but  I  was  too  thoroughly  determined,  to  be  put 
off  by  one  denial.  Waiting  two  or  three  days,  I  waylaid 
the  commodore,  and  told  him,  that  after  considering  upon 
all  he  had  said  to  me,  I  was  still  inclined  seaward  aa 
strongly  as  ever ;  and  therefore  requested  him  to  write 
for  me  the  few  necessary  words  to  the  recruiting  officer. 
So  saying,  I  laid  before  him  paper  and  pen,  and  put  cc 
mv  most  beseeching  look. 


THE      R  R  N  1*  K  /.  V  ()  U  S      AGAIN.  21 

"  Confound  the  boy,"  said  he  ;  "1  suppose  I  shall  have 
to  do  what  he  wants." 

He  wrote  :  "  Officer  of  the  naval  rendezvous  will  ship 
the  bearer — a  boy. — Com.  C.  ELLIOTT,"  and  threw  it  to 
me.  1  thanked  him  —  he  told  me  to  go  to  the  devil — 
and  I  tuok  t-he  nearest  way  to  the  rendezvous,  determined 
to  lose  no  time  in  testing  the  efficacy  of  my  "  perm  it." 
The  shipping  officer  was  standing  at  the  office  door  as  1 
came  up,  and  at  the  sight  of  niy  rather  too- well-known  face 
turned  impatiently  into  the  room.  I  followed  him  in. 
He  looked  around,  and  said  pettishly : 

"  Boy,  I've  told  you  a  dozen  times  that  we  can't  ship 
you.  Go  away,  and  don't  let  me  see  you  any  more." 

In  reply  to  this,  I  quietly  handed  to  him  the  note  from 
the  commodore.  He  looked  at  it,  then .  at  me ;  then 
at  that  again.  Then  his  whole  manner  changed — he 
politely  asked  me  to  take  a  seat.  1  did  so. 

"  This  note  alters  the  case,  my  lad,"  said  he,  in  the 
tone  of  a  gentleman — a  tone  1  had  not  known  him  to 
assume  before.  "  So  your  father  is  acquainted  with 
Commodore  Elliott  V'1^  And  without  stopping  for  an  an- 
swer, he  rapidly  continued :  "  Did  you  have  hard  work  to 
get  your  mother  to  let  you  go  ?  I  should  think  some  one 
would  have  come  down  with  you,  to  see  you  sign  the  arti- 
cles ;  but,  I  suppose,  they  just  gave  you  the  commodore's 
note,  eh  ?" 

I  mechanically  said :   "  Yes." 

He  did  not  hear  me.  There  was  no  explanation 
ncr.l.-d.  1  Assessed  the  magic  signet  before  which  all 
doors  flew  open — all  difficulties  vanished.  The  articles  of 
agreement  were  read  over  to  me  in  a  monotonous  drawl ; 


22  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE. 

and  I  was  asked,  if  I,  of  my  own  free  will,  did  propose 
to  sign  them — a  question  which,  in  my  ignorance,  I  con- 
sidered highly  superfluous,  seeing  that  I  had  been  at  so 
much  pains  to  obtain  the  chance  so  to  do.  At  the  tink- 
ling of  a  small  bell,  1  was  requested  to  walk  into  an 
adjoining  room,  where  a  naval  doctor  examined  into  the 
stoutness  of  my  frame  and  lungs,  and  the  general  sound- 
ness of  my  constitution.  A  report,  in  lead  pencil,  of 
the  result,  was  placed  in  my  hands,  which  I  rendered  , 
up  to  the  man  of  tbe  drawl,  who  expressed  his  satisfac- 
tion thereat ;  and  in  conclusion,  asking  me  if  I  was  fully 
aware  of  all  the  responsibilities  I  was  about  to  take  upon 
myself,  and  would  swear  to  submit  to  the  rules  and 
regulations  laid  down  for  the  government  of  the  seamen 
in  the  United  States  Navy — questions  which  I  did  not 
presume  to  answer — told  me  to  "  touch  the  pen,"  while  he 
very  ingeniously  wrote  my  name  for  me — a  matter  that 
I  could  have  performed  much  more  satisfactorily  and 
legibly  myself — and  then  said  to  me,  with  an  expression 
of  intense  relief  depicted  in  his  countenance : 

"  There,  my  boy ;  now  you  belong  to  Uncle  Sam." 
I  was  thereupon  asked  "  when  I  would  go  on  board ;" 
answered,  "  immediately  ;"   received  a  paper  certifying 

that   I,  ,  was  shipped  on  that  day,  as  first-class 

boy,  for  general  service  in  the  Navy  of  the  United 
States ;  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a  rascally-looking 
.ic.v  slopseller,  who,  looking  at  me  twice,  picked  me 
out  a  small  bag  of  clothing ;  was  then  placed,  together 
'wiili  the  bag  of  clothing  and  a  bundle  of  straw,  in 
a  furniture-car,  which  drove  down  to  the  navy  yard; 
and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  after  speaking  to  the  old 


SHIPPED     AT     LAST.  23 

commodore,  found  myself  on  board  the  U.  S.  Keceiving 
Ship  Experiment,  lying  off  the  navy  yard,  Philadelphia. 
The  whole  matter  was  so  quickly  over,  -and  1  was  so 
fearful  of  some  outside  interference  to  defeat  my  plans, 
that  I  did  not  take  time  even  to  give  up  my  situation,  or 
to  bid  good-bye  to  my  employers,  my  friends  in  the  office 
or  even  to  the  kind  people  at  whose  house  1  had  found  a 
home  during  my  stay  in  Philadelphia.  As  soon,  how- 
ever, as  I  collected  my  scattered  senses  sufficiently  to  be 
able  to  think,  I  wrote  on  shore,  explaining  my  move- 
ments, and  the  reasons  for  my  haste. 


CHAPTER  II. 

LIFE  on  board  a  Guardo  —  How  "  Green  Hands "  are  fit- 
ted out  —  The  Outfitter's  game  —  Free  Trade  and  Sailors' 
Rights  —  Sickness  on  board  ship. 

THIS  was  in  March,  18 — .  Arrived  on  board  the  Ex- 
periment, I  was  first  presented  to  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
to  whom  I  made  a  polite  bow,  receiving  in  return  an  out- 
rageous grin ;  then  taken  below  by  the  master-at-arms, 
who  turned  the  contents  of  my  clothes-bag  out  on  deck, 
kicked  them  over  with  his  foot,  pronounced  them  "  all 
right,"  and  bade  me  put  them  in  again  ;  showed  me 
where  to  put  the  bag,  where  to  put  away  my  bedding  ---the 
straw  sack  before  mentioned — and  finally  showed  to  me 
the  limits  within  which  I  was  expected  to  confine  myself. 

Here  I  must  explain  the  mode  of  "  fitting  out "  green 
kands  and  drunken  sailors,  when  they  ship  in  the  United 
States  Navy.  Each  non-commissioned  officer,  seaman, 
landsman,  or  boy  receives,  on  entering  the  service,  a 
sum  of  money  amounting  to  three  months'  pay  of  such 
individual.  This  sum  is  designed  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses of  a  regular  outfit  of  uniform  clothing,  bedding, 
etc.,  which,  by  the  navy  regulations,  each  man  is  com- 
pelled to  have.  The  old  man-of-war's  men,  who  "have 
learnt  a  thing  or  two,"  when  sober,  generally  take  thia 
24 


A     SAILOR     BOY     S     OUTFIT.  Zfl 

advance-money  into  their  own  possession,  and  with  it 
procure  the  necessary  articles.  Drunken  sailors  and 
green  hands,  whether  men  or  boys,  being  unable  to  fit 
themselves  out,  are  generally  taken  in  hand  by  certain 
speculators  in  slop-clothing,  who  loaf  about  the  rendez- 
vous, where  their  cheatery  is  in  a  manner  winked  at. 
These  thieves  become  security  for  the  safe  delivery  on 
board  of  the  new  recruit,  and  then  furnish  him,  in  ex- 
change for  his  three  months'  pay,  with  the  articles  of 
clothing  enumerated  in  the  navy  regulations.  To  see 
that  all  is  done  fair  and  aboveboard,  it  is  provided  that 
the  master-at-arms  shall,  on  the  rendering  on  board  of 
the  recruit,  examine  his  clothing  to  see  that  the  requisite 
number  of  pieces  is  there.  So  far,  so  good ;  but  unfor- 
tunately for  poor  "  greeny,"  the  quality  of  the  clothing  is 
not  made  matter  of  regulation.  The  consequence  of  this 
is,  that  the  slop-seller,  while  furnishing  faithfully  the  num- 
ber, made  too  in  the  fashion  required,  provides  it  of  stuff 
which,  it  is  safe  to  say,  can  not  be  found  any  where  else 
than  in  the  establishments  of  these  thieving  outfitters, 
I  was  shipped  as  first-class  boy,  at  a  wage  of  eight  dol- 
lars per  month.  Three  months'  pay  would,  therefore,  be 
twenty-four  dollars.  In  return  for  this  the  navy  regula- 
tions required  me  to  become  the  possessor  of  the  following 
mentioned  articles  of  clothing,  to- wit :  "  One  blue  cloth 
mustering  jacket,  one  pair  blue  cloth  mustering  trowsers, 
two  white  duck  frocks  (called  shirts  on  shore)  with  blue 
collars,  two  pair  white  duck  trowsers,  two  blue  flannel 
shirts,  one  pea-jacket  (overcoat),  two  pair  cotton  socks, 
two  pair  woolen  socks,  one  pair  pumps,  one  pair  shoes, 
one  black  tarpaulin  hat,  one  mattress  and  mattress  cover. 


20  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

two  blankets,  one  pot,  pan,  spoon,  and  knife,  and  one 
clothes-bag."  It  is  a  matter  of  curiosity,  as  well  as  a 
striking  instance  of  the  successful  pursuit  of  dollars,  un- 
der difficulties,  to  see  how  faithfully  this  list  could  be 
copied,  without,  in  one  item  of  them  all,  coming  up  to 
the  evident  intention  of  those  who  made  it  the  standard 
For  instance,  the  blue  cloth  jacket  and  trowsers,  which 
are  only  for  mustering  in  on  special  occasions,  are  sup- 
posed to  be  made  of  very  fine  blue  cloth.  Those  with 
which  I  was  furnished  by  my  friend,  the  Jew,  were  made 
of  a  species  of  rusty-looking  serge,  of  which  an  old  salt 
gave  me  a  most  faithful  description,  when  he  said  it  was 
"  made  of  dogs'  hair  and  oakum,  and  cost  three  pence  an 
armfull,"  and  added,  "  one  might  take  a  bull-dog  by 
the  neck  and  heels  and  fling  him  between  any  two 
threads  of  it."  The  white  duck  frocks  and  trowsera 
were  made  of  yellow  bagging,  which,  so  coarse  was  its 
texture,  would  scarcely  hold  peas ;  and  which  was  war- 
ranted not  to  last  beyond  the  first  washing.  Instead  of 
the  "neat"  black  silk  neckerchief  and  shining  pumps, 
articles  of  dress  in  the  excellence  of  which  a  true  man-of- 
war's  man  greatly  delights,  the  recruits  are  furnished 
a  rusty  bamboo  rag,  and  shoes  made  of  varnished  brown 
paper,  which  vanish  before  the  damp  salt  air  as  mist 
before  a  bright  sun.  And  in  place  of  the  neat  tar- 
paulin, hard  as  a  brick,  and  almost  as  heavy,  smooth 
and  glossy,  as  though  made  of  glass,  the  crowning 
glory  of  a  man-of-war  man's  costume,  was  a  misera- 
ble featherweight  of  lacquered  straw,  which  imparted 
to  the  countenance  beneath  it  a  look  of  indescrib- 
able, almost  unfathomable  greenness,  instead  of  that 


I     AM     VICTIM  IZED     BT     THE     OUTFITTER.     27 

knowing,  confident  air  peculiar  to  an  old  salt.  To 
complete  the  list,  came  the  mattress,  a  coarse  sack, 
loosclv  stuffed  with  a  mixture  of  straw,  shavings,  and 
old  rags — and  the  blankets,  which  would  not  serve  as 
riddles  for  peas.  The  entire  assortment  was  worth  nothing 
to  any  one  except  old  Robyeknow,  the  slopseller,  himself. 
Him  they  probably  cost  about  three  dollars.  He  came  on 
board  the  next  morning  to  have  his  account  examined  and 
signed,  according  to  the  regulations,  which,  as  a  final  and 
complete  preventive  of  cheatery,  provide  that  no  shore 
accounts  shall  be  allowed  unless  the  sailor  against  whom 
they  are  brought  acknowledges  their  correctness  before 
an  officer.  In  virtue  of  this,  I  was  called  before  the 
lieutenant  of  the  watch,  and  asked  by  the  master-at-arms 
if  I  was  perfectly  satisfied  with  my  account,  and  with  all 
the  articles  of  clothing  received.  This  worthy  having 
previously  instructed  me  that  it  was  all  right,  and  that 
if  it  was  not,  I  would  be  sent  ashore  again,  1  very  readily 
declared  my  entire  satisfaction,  "touched  the  pen,"0  and 
retired,  with  a  smiling  assurance  from  Mr.  Robyeknow,  that 
1  was  a  "  regular  brick,"  and  would  no  doubt  become  an 
admiral,  if  I  lived  long  enough. 

But  to  return  to  the  time  of  my  first  arrival  on  board. 
I  was  shown  the  way  "  forward,"  where  I  found  assem- 
bled, some  standing,  some  sitting,  some  lying  down,  one 
reading,  several  sewing,  and  the  balance  either  spinning 
yarns  or  asleep,  about  two  dozen  regular  old  tars.  They 
all,  but  one  or  two,  bore  about  them  the  marks  of  iv  rent 
excesses,  and  smelt  strongly  of  bad  liquor — which  I  ait  v 

°The  phrase  for  signing  one's  name  to  an  account  or  other 
document. 


28  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

ward  found  was  smuggled  on  board  in  no  inconsiderable 
quantities.  Leaving  out  the  liquor,  they  were  fine,  bronzed, 
weather-beaten  looking  fellows,  with  broad  shoulders  and 
well-knit,  massive  frames.  My  diffidence  did  not  permit 
me  to  intrude  myself  upon  their  august  presence,  and  1, 
therefore,  took  a  se.it  on  a  shot-box,  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  group.  Presently  one  of  the  most  sober  of  them 
approached  me,  saying : 

"  Well,  boy,  they  shipped  you,  did  they  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  1  answered. 

"  You'd  better  have  gone  and  hung  yourself  first," 
growled  out  one  of  the  others. 

"  Leave  the  boy  alone,  will  you,"  retorted  the  one  who 
had  spoken  first ;  "  don't  frighten  him  to  death.  Don't  you 
soe  he's  as  green  as  grass  ?  Who  got  you  to  ship,  my  lad  ?" 

"  Nobody;  I  wanted  to  be  a  sailor." 

"Oh,"  said  he,  with  a  look  of  great  enlightenment; 
well,  you've  come  to  rather  an  out-of-the-way  place  to 
learn  sailorship,  to  be  sure.  And  you  fell  into  old  Eobye- 
kcow's  clutches  at  the  first  jump.  Well,  the  old  scoun- 
drel did  me  once.  When  you're  green,  you  have  to  suffer." 

After  some  further  conversation,  in  which  my  personal 
appearance,  as  well  as  my  desire  to  become  a  sailor,  were 
pretty  freely  criticised  and  commented  upon,  my  friend,  the 
master-at-arms,  placed  in  my  hands  an  oblong  strip  of  stout 
canvas,  having  a  number  of  strings  tied  to  each  end,  and 
informed  me  that  this  was  my  hammock,  in  which  I  was 
to  sleep.  I  had  read  of  sailors  sleeping  in  hammocks, 
but  had  before  this  no  proper  or  definite  idea  of  what 
might  be  the  shape  of  that  most  necessary  article.  As  I 
was  holding  it  in  my  hands,  with  rather  a  puzzled  air, 


UY      HAMMOCK.  29 

the  sailor  who  had  first  spoken  to  me,  took  me  in  charge, 
to  enlighten  me  as  to  the  manner  of  its  use.  We  pro- 
ceeded to  the  lower  deck,  where  I  was  shown  a  number 
of  hooks  set  into  the  beams  and  carlings  overhead.  The 
little  strings  before  mentioned — clews  they  are  called— I 
now  found,  were  used  to  suspend  the  hammock  between 
two  of  these  hooks,  thus  making  a  swinging  bedstead,  at 
an  altitude  of  about  four  feet  from  the  deck  or  floor. 
Into  this  bedstead  were  now  placed  my  rag  and-shaving 
mattress  and  dog's  hair  blankets,  and  the  affair  was 
pronoun. ed  ready  for  occupancy,  by  my  guide. 

"  But, '  said  I,  "it  swings."  I  was  ashamed  to  confess 
that  1  was  afraid  to  fall  out  of  so  unsteady  a  resting- 
place. 

"  Now  let  us  see  if  you  can  jump  in,"  was  his  only 
reply.  A  matchtub  was  brought  for  me  to  stand  upon, 
in  order  that  I  might  be  able  to  leach  my  hands  to  the 
hooks  ove/head ;  then  I  was  told  to  cat  h  hold  with  my 
hands  of  two  of  the  hooks,  give  my  boly  a  swing,  and 
alight  in  the  hammock.  One  of  the  sailors  went  through 
the  performance,  in  order,  as  he  said,  to  satisfy  me  that 
it  was  "as  easy  as  eating  soft  tack  and  butter;"  and 
then  all  stood  clear  for  me.  I  made  all  clue  preparation, 
held,  my  bieath  tightly,  gave  iny  lower  extremities  a 
hoist,  but  touching  the  side  of  the  hammock  slightly  as 
1  rose  in  the  air,  it  slipped  from  under  me,  and  I  launched 
rlmr  over,  and  landed  on  deck,  on  the  other  side  of  it, 
\vith  a  thump,  that  made  all  hands  grin. 

"  Try  a ^a in."  was  the  word,  and  the  next  time,  with 
the  help  of  a  lift  from  one  of  the  men,  1  succee 

myself  f  lirly  in  my  bed.     Here  1  soon  found  that 


30  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

it  was  not  a  difficult  mitter  to  keep  from  falling  out.  I 
was  next  shown  how  to  tie  or  "  lash"  it  up,  an  1  where 
to  put  it. 

It  was  now  supper- time,  and  the  cook  called  out "  come 
and  get  your  tea."  I  got  my  pot,  pan  and  spoon,  as  the 
rest  did,  and  proceeded  to  the  "  galley,"  or  cooking  range, 
where  eaoh  individual  was  served  with  a  quart  of  tea, 
ready  sweetened,  with  which  we  betook  ourselves  to  the 
"  mess,"  a  place  on  the  lower  deck,  where,  in  a  "  mess 
chest,"  are  kept  the  bread  and  meat,  and  whatever  else 
may  constitute  the  daily  allowance  of  food.  Here  the 
individual  who  was  the  acting  "cook  of  the  mess,"  had 
set  our  supper  out  on  a  "  mess  cloth  "  on  deck.  It  con- 
sisted of  sea-bread,  raw  salt  pork,  cold  boiled  potatoes, 
and  vinegar.  We  gathered  around  the  cloth,  each  one 
bringing  his  tea,  and  a  seat,  although  some  squatted 
right  down  on  dejk.  When  all  was  arrange!,  an  old  salt 
said,  "  well,  boys,  here's  every  one  for  himself,  and  the 
d — 1  for  us  all — Ja:k,  pass  the  pork."  And  this  was 
grace  to  the  first  meal  I  ate  in  "  the  service." 

I  was  not  a  froward  boy,  and  therefore  waited  patiently 
for  my  share  until  the  rest  were  helped.  One  of  the 
sailors  seeing  this,  cut  me  a  large  slice  of  fat  salt  pork, 
gave  it  a  dip  in  the  vinegar  pan,  and  laying  it  on  a  cake 
of  bread,  handed  it  to  me,  saying,  "  eat  hearty,  my  lad, 
and  give  the  ship  a  good  name."  I  was  quite  willing 
to  do  so,  but  at  sight  of  the  raw  meat  whioh  was  being 
consumed  on  all  sides  of  me,  my  appetite  failed  me,  and  I 
was  content  to  eat  a  little  bread  and  tea,  and  look  on  at 
the  performance  of  the  rest.  I  soon  learned,  how- 
ever, to  like  sailors'  prog,  especially  as  T  was  given  to 


THEGUARDO.  31 

understand  that  this  was  necessary  in  order  to  become  a 
thorough  sailor  myself. 

It  will  be  nejessary  here  to  give  a  short  description  of 
my  new  home.  Receiving  ships,  such  as  the  one  on  board 
whi  h  I  now  was,  are  old  vessels,  dismantled  of  their 
guns,  and  laid  up,  in  the  larger  seaports,  to  be  used  as 
temporary  places  of  deposit  for  sailors  whose  ultimate 
destination  is  some  vessel  just  being  fitted  for  sea,  and 
not  yet  ready  to  receive  her  crew.  When  a  vessel  of 
war  returns  home  from  a  completed  cruise,  her  crew  is 
discharged,  and  the  vessel  placed  under  the  hands  of 
Navy  Yard  men,  and  by  them  dismantled,  and  laid  up  in 
ordinary,  in  the  Navy  Yard.  When  she  is  again  ordered 
for  servi  e,  she  is  fitted  out  at  the  Navy  Yard,  and  not 
until  ready  to  receive  her  stores  of  ammunition,  pro- 
visions, etc.,  does  her  own  future  crew  go  on  board.  Thus 
it  becomes  necessary  to  have  "  receiving  vessels,"  on  board 
which  the  newly  shipped  hands  may  be  kept  until  the 
1  for  which  they  are  intended  is  leady  for  their 
reception. 

The  discipline  on  these  receiving  vessels  is  very  lax, 
nothing  being  required  of  the  men  but  to  keep  themselves 
and  the  vessel  moderately  clean.  None  of  the  rigors  of 
man-of-war  discipline  are  enforced,  and  the  strong  arm 
of  authority  is  not  shown  or  felt,  except  in  a  total  restric- 
tion of  liberty  to  leave  the  vessel.  Being  only  a  sort 
of  transition  state,  there  is  much  confusion ;  to  which,  the 
liquor  so  plentifully  smuggled  on  board,  adds  no  incou- 
sM. Table  share.  Most  of  the  old  tars  make  it  a  point 
tly  al»ut  1ml'  d  unk,  and  inu:;y  .'f  the 
iv  follow  and  even  cxeeed  them  in  this  pet 


32  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

vice.  In  fast,  I  had  occasion  tj  notice  among  the  green 
hands  a  very  general  and  prevalent  impression,  that  the 
easiest  and  quickest  way  to  become  a  thorough  sailor  was 
to  drink  rum  and  chew  tobacco.  And  many  of  them 
shortly  succeeded  to  admiration  in  these  two  accomplish- 
ments— often  far  surpassing  their  models. 

Life  on  board  a  receiving  ship  is  very  monotonous. 
All  hands  are  called  up  at  daybreak,  the  decks  washed, 
and  then  breakfast  is  had.  At  eight  o'clock  all  hands 
are  mustered,  and  the  roll  called  to  see  that  all  are  pres- 
ent, and  this  finishes  the  day's  labor.  The  balance  of  the 
time  is  devoted  to  talking,  reading,  singing,  sowing,  or 
gazing  at  the  shore,  and  casting  retrospective  glances  at 
the  pleasures  there  enjoyed.  When  once  on  board  the 
receiving  vessel,  a  return  on  shore  is  almost  impossible, 
and  a  "  guardo,"  as  one  of  these  vessels  is  called  by  the 
sailors,  is  therefore  much  like  a  prison. 

It  is  a  singular  fast,  that  no  sooner  has  an  old  man-of- 
war's  man  shipped  and  rendered  himself  on  board  the 
"  guardo  "  than  he  seems  to  be  suddenly  possessed  with 
an  inordinate  longing  to  run  away  from  the  obligations 
he  has  taken  upon  himself.  The  shore,  of  which  he  was 
so  tired,  and  so  glad  to  get  rid,  all  at  once  assumes  new 
charms  to  him.  The  memory  of  past  pleasures  seems  to 
urge  him,  with  force  irresistible,  to  a  return  to  their 
scenes,  and  he  spares  no  pains,  nor  hesitates  at  any 
danger  to  effect  his  escape.  No  step  seems  too  rash  nor 
any  sacrifice  too  great  to  effect  an  object  which  evidently 
becomes  dearer  to  him  in  exact  proportion  to  the  diffi 
culties  attending  its  attainment. 

Our  number,  on  board  the  Experiment,  was  gradually 


DRAFTED     TO     NEW     YORK.  33 

increased  by  additions  from  on  shore,  until  at  the  end  of 
1'uur  weeks  it  reached  seventy.  Of  these,  several  effected 
their  escape.  One,  I  recollect,  had  a  suit  of  citizen's 
clothing  provided  for  him  by  the  kindness  of  friends  on 
shore,  dressed  in  which,  he  took  advantage  of  a  day  when 
the  vessel  was  open  to  visitors,  and  walked  past  tU 
sentry  and  officer  of  the  watch,  entirely  unsuspected, 
making  good  his  escape  without  difficulty.  Two  others, 
one  dark,  stormy  night,  lowered  themselves  over  the  bows 
into  the  water,  and  although  it  was  freezing,  succeeded 
in  swimming  ashore,  where  one  of  them  was  caught  within 
two  days  after,  and  returned  on  board,  to  be  the  laughing 
st)ck  of  the  rest.  And  finally,  when  on  the  cars,  on  our 
way  to  join  the  ship  at  New  York,  one  mad  drunken 
fellow  broke  out  a  little  window  in  the  side  of  the  car 
and  thrust  himself  through,  while  the  train  was  going 
at  full  speed.  We  saw  him  strike  the  ground  and  roll 
over  and  over  down  the  embankment,  but  in  a  moment 
m  -re  were  out  of  sight.  I  learne  1  afterwards,  incident- 
al ly.  that  singularly  enough  he  escaped  with  scarcely  a 
s  rat  -h. 

On  the  last  day  of  April,  it  was  found  there  was  a 
sufficient  number  of  men  gathered  together  to  make  up 
a  draft  for  New  York.  We  were  accordingly  mustered 
and  counted  off,  to  get  ready  for  leaving.  Bags  and 
hammocks  w  re  securely  tied  and  lashed;  we  dressed 
ourselves  in  our  best  bib  and  tucker,  and  then  went 
aboard  of  the  steamer,  which  had  come  alongside  to  take 
Dfl  -ft.  S])c  -ial  care  had  b:en  taken  to  prevent  smuggling 
of  li«|uor;  and  we  started  off  in  very  tolerable  style,  an 
old  fiter  playing,  as  we  left  the  town,  "  The  ffiri  I  left 
8 


84  M  A  N-O  F-WA  R     LI  BTE: 

behind  me. "  Taking  the  cars  at  Camden,  we  again  changed 
to  a  steamboat,  at  Amboy.  Here  trouble  commenced. 
There  was  a  bar  on  board,  which  at  the  request  of  the 
draft  officer,  had  been  closed.  So  far  so  good.  Had  it 
been  kept  strictly  closed  there  would  have  been  no  diffi 
culty.  But  it  was  soon  found  out  that  it  was  freel) 
opened  to  retail  poison  to  the  citizen  passengers,  bii 
closed  in  great  haste  on  the  approach  of  a  sailor.  This 
was  voted  on  all  hands  to  be  an  outrage — "  an  infringe- 
ment on  the  ever-to-be-respected  doctrine  of  Free  Trad^ 
and  Sailor's  rights,"  as  a  wag  of  the  party  observed ;  and 
it  was  determined  to  punish  the  discriminating  barkeeper 
by  drinking  his  liquors  without  paying  for  them.  N 
sooner  said  than  done.  All  hands  gathered  quietly  in? 
the  vicinity  of  the  aristocratic  dram  shop,  and  there 
formed  an  impenetrable  belt  outside  the  scene  of  opera- 
tions. Half  a  dozen  of  the  stoutest  and  heaviest  fellow  > 
then  clung  together,  and  making  a  little  run  to  acquire 
additional  impetus,  threw  their  whole  weight  against  th? 
bar  door.  Not  made  for  resistance,  it  flew  back  on  it- 
hinges  at  the  first  effort,  and  the  whole  crowd  entered,, 
just  in  time  to  see  the  coat-tails  of  the  retailer  of  drams 
vanishing  out  of  a  side  door.  Our  fellows  now  conducted 
everything  in  a  quiet  and  orderly  manner.  Guards  were 
posted,  to  prevent  intrusion  of  strangers,  and  the  liquoi 
was  at  once  made  way  with.  Comparatively  little  wa 
drunk,  the  most  of  it  being  spilt  on  dock,  where  it  ran 
out  of  the  scuppers.  When  all  that  wis  to  b?  found  had 
been  destroyed,  the  crowd  quietly  disp^rs^d,  carefully 
closing  the  door  after  them.  During  the  whole  tiiue  of 
the  proceedings,  the  deck  outside  of  the  bar-rocmi  wa 


BREAKING     OPEN      A      BAR-ROOM.  35 

filled  with  the  citizen  passengers,  attracted  thither  by 
curiosity  to  witness  the  proceedings.  They  were  not 
allowed,  however,  to  see  anything.  Most  of  them  thought 
"  the  sailors  "  were  about  right.  It  was  said  the  officers 
of  the  boat  remonstrated  with  the  naval  officer  who  had 
charge  of  the  draft,  but  he  was  too  sensible  a  man  to 
interfere. 

1  need  scarcely  say  here,  that  the  scenes  of  drunken- 
ness and  riotous  debauchery  of  which  I  had  been  a  wit- 
ness almost  constantly  since  my  entry  into  the  Navy, 
could  not  fail  of  being  highly  disagreeable  to  the  feelings 
<  -f  a  lad  like  myself,  who  had  been  raised  among  religious 
people,  and  was  a  stranger  to  the  appearance  of  vice.  In 
truth,  I  was  more  than  half  sickened  already  of  the  life 
which  I  had  embraced  with  so  much  ardof.  But  I  had 
been  informed  that  all  this  drunkenness  and  riot  found 
only  in  the  receiving  ships,  and  would  cease  when 
we  were  once  on  board  our  own  vessel,  and  at  s  a,  bound 
i<>r  foreign  lands.  And  then,  those  foreign  lands:  if 
ever  any  scene  of  unusual  violence,  or  any  superlatively 
disgusting  exhibition  of  drunken  brutality  filled  my  mind 
with  fear  and  abhorrence  of  the  men  among  whom  I  had 
so  eagerly  cast  my  lot,  the  thought  of  the  strange  coun- 
tries which  I  was  now  about  t>  visit,  of  the  wonders  of 
animate  and  inanimate  nature,  so  long  read  about,  which 
were  to  be  spread  out  before  my  eager  eyes,  banished  all 
unpleasant  thoughts  from  my  mind,  and  more  than  recon- 
ciled me  to  the  disagreeableness  of  my  position. 

Arrived  at  New  York,  we  were  transferred  at  onee  on 

board  the  vessel  for  which  we  were  destined,  the  C , 

four  gun  ship,  which  was  then  lying  off  the 


36  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

Navy  Yard,  taking  in  stores,  and  preparing  for  sea. 
Here  a  new  scene  of  wonder  was  opened  to  me.  I  had 
often,  while  at  Philadelphia,  boarded  the  large  merchant 
vessels  lying  at  the  wharves,  and  had  cause  for  surprise  at 
the  massive  strength  and  solidity  of  all  things  about 
them,  but  here  I  found  everything  on  so  much  greater  a 
scale  as  to  make  all  I  had  seen  before  dwindle  down  to 
Lilliputian  dimensions.^  The  hight  from  the  water's 
edge  to  the  top  of  the  railing  or  bulwark,  a  distance  of 
about  thirty-five  feet,  gave  me  at  once  an  idea  of  the 
vastness  of  the  entire  structure,  which  an  examination 
of  the  details  confirmed,  and  which  my  mind  had  never 
conceived  of.  Used  to  the  sight  of  nothing  larger  or 
more  solid  than  the  steamboats  which  plough  the  waters 
of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  I  had  roamed  with  surprise! 
astonishment  over  the  larger  class  of  vessels  which  came 
to  Philadelphia.  But  here  was  a  vessel  which  eclipsed 
those  in  vastness  of  structure  as  far  as  they  were  beyond  the 
little  schooner  boats  which  dot  the  Delaware.  I  stood  on 
deck  and  looked  about  me.  Forward  and  aft  stretched 
a  long  line  of  guns ;  amidship  were  placed  two  launches, 
boats  capable  each  of  carrying  the  loading  of  a  moderate 
sized  schooner,  and  containing  at  sea,  four  other  boats, 
laid  one  within  the  other.  Looking  down  the  hatchway, 
I  saw  a  long  line  of  ladders,  communicating  with  tier 
after  tier  of  deck,  until  the  lowest  was  lost  in  a  darkness 
never  illumined  by  the  light  of  day.  And  overhead, 
the  tapering  masts  seemed  to  lose  themselves  in  the  clouds, 
and  the  wilderness  of  ringing  whi  _'h  supported  them  to  be 
an  endless  and  undistinguishably  confused  mass  of  ropes. 
But  there  was  no  time  for  surprise.  "  Come  look  alive 


"OUR     S  I!  1  I'  "     A  T     LAST.  37 

tli  re.  don't  go  to  sleep,"  shoute 1  in  my  ear  by  a  coarse 
voice,  startled  me  out  of  my  propriety  nearly,  and  inter- 
rupted the  strain  of  wonderment  in  which  I  had  become 
lost. 

"  Were  you  speaking  to  me,  sir?"  said  I,  politely  and 
timidly,  making  a  respectful  bow  at  the  same  time,  to  a 
bu:ly,  doublefisted  sailor,  from  whom  the  coarse  voice 
seemed  to  have  issued.  A  shout  of  laughter  from  all 
within  hearing  greeted  this  green  sally  of  mine,  amidst 
which  I  hastily  made  my  descent  to  a  lower  deck.  Her) 
new  scenes  awaited  my  ready  eyes  and  ears.  But  there 
was  no  time  to  be  astonished.  Everybody  was  busy. 
Men  running  hither  and  thither  with  loads  of  ligging. 
OffL-ers,  in  uniform  of  blue  and  gold,  shouting  order* 
through  tin  speak  in^-tiumpets;  the  cheering  sound  of 
the  boatswain's  mate's  pipes,  and  the  regular  tramp  o;' 
the  hundreds  strung  along,  on  deck,  at  the  tackle  falls, 
hoisting  in  provisions;  all  united,  made  a  scene  of  nois3 
and  confusion  in  which  it  was  impossible  to  stand  still,  o  • 
to  think,  and  I  soon  found  it  necessary  to  get  some 
employment  myself,  in  order  to  avoid  being  knocked  dow  i 
and  run  over,  in  the  rush  of  the  many  conflicting  crowds 
I  therefore  joined  a  division  of  about  a  hundred,  who 
were  hoisting  in  barrels  of  beef  and  pork  on  deck,  from 
a  lighter  alongside.  We  had  hold  of  one  end  of  a  rope, 
the  other  end  of  which  being  made  fast  to  a  dozen  barrels 
of  provisions,  the  boatswain's  shrill  whistle  piped  "  go 
ahead  "  and  we  walked  off  with  the  fall,  to  the  merry 
notes  of  a  fife.  Landing  the  beef  on  deck,  the  barrels 
were  there  coopered,  and  then  consigned  by  another  set  of 
men  to  their  resting-place  in  the  hold. 


38  MAN-OF-W  A  R     L  I  F  K  : 

A  man-of-war  is  supposed  to  have  on  board,  when  readj 
for  sea,  six  months'  supply  of  provisions  and  water, 
together  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  powder  and  shot, 
spare  clothing,  sails,  and  rigging,  to  last  the  cruise  of 
three  years.  To  take  in  these  supplies,  and  complete  the 
fitting  of  various  portions  of  the  rigging,  for  sea,  was  th 
work  now  on  hand,  and  at  this  we  were  kept  early  and 
late  rain  or  shine.  All  hands  were  called  up  at  four 
o'clock  A.  M.,  and  the  work  continued  from  that  hour  until 
six  p  M.,  with  intermission  only  for  b  eak^ast  and  dinner. 
Not  used  to  this  kind  of  a  life,  the  first  wet  weather 
completed  what  previous  exposure  had  laid  the  foundation 
for.  and  I  woke  up  one  morning  gasping  for  breath, 
and  scarcely  able  to  stir.  I  managed  to  tumble  out  of 
my  hammock  on  to  the  deck,  but  could  not  lash  it  up. 
'I  he  "  hu.ry  up,  hurry  up,  there  "  of  the  cross  old  boat- 
swain's mate,  although  filling  me  with  terror,  was  le  t 
unlieedel,  while  I  crawled  between  two  guns,  and  laid 
ivyselF  down,  crying  and  moaning  with  pain.  Nearly  all 
the  hammocks  were  on  deck,  and  mine  not  yet  lashed  up, 
when  a  kind  old  sailor,  passing  that  way,  heard  me  crying, 
I'lid  approached.  He  quickly  saw  what  was  the  matter, 
mi  1  taking  me  up  in  his  arms,  like  one  would  a  baby, 
ca  ricd  me  into  the  "  sick  bay,"  the  place  set  apait  oil 
shipboard  for  the  sick.  Returning  directly  with  my 
hammock,  he  hung  that  up,  lifted  me  into  it,  and 
bid  'ing  me  not  cry,  but  be  of  goo  I  cheer,  hurried  off 
to  his  work.  I  lay  there  quite  unnoticed  until  nine 
o'  lock,  wh  n  the  do  tor  made  his  regular  round;  aft<r 
an  examination  of  the  symptoms,  my  disease  wa 
j)M)iiou"5.icl  to  be  a  violent  pleurisy.  Here  I  lay  sick  foif 


S  I  C  K  N  K  F  S  .  o'J 

many  days.  My  sijkness,  or  else  the  paregoric  which 
was  given  me  for  medicine,  stupefied  me.  My  existence 
seemed  to  111:3  as  a  dream ;  objects  and  events  passing 
about  me,  I  was  merely  conscious  of,  without  receiving 
from  them  any  impression.  The  doctor  ordered  a  niustard 
plaster  to  be  applied  to  my  breast.  Two  days  after,  1 
was  cupped,  and  then  blistered.  I  stood  it  all,  not  with 
fortitude,  but  with  apathy.  There  seemed  scarcely 
sufficient  life  left  in  my  boly  to  suffer,  I  said  nothing, 
ate  nothing,  and  drank  nothing  but  water  for  nine  days. 

In  the  meantime  the  sick  bay  was  filled  with  sick  men, 
many  of  them  having  upon  them  loathsome  diseases, 
contracted  in  their  debaucheries  on  shore.  Several  men 
died.  While  I  was  yet  lying  very  low,  the  occupant  of 
the  hammock  adjoining  mine — (our  beds  touched)  — 
died.  He  was  an  Englishman,  a  strong  man,  in  the 
prime  of  life,  and  he  parted  from  existence  reluctantly 
The  chaplain  was  with  him  in  his  last  moments ;  and  a  i 
he  and  the  sick  bay  steward  closed  the  dead  man's  eyes, 
I  heard  the  latter  whisper,  pointing  to  me : 

"  That  little  boy  will  be  the  next,  sir." 

But,  somehow,  I  did  not  believe  it.  I  had  determined 
to  go  to  sea  ;  I  had  longed  for  it,  striven  for  it,  and  suf- 
fered for  it,  so  much — and  I  could  not  believe  that  I  was 
going  to  die  now,  when  just  upon  the  point  of  attaining 
the  one  strong  wish  of  my  heart. 

One  morning,  when  I  was  at  the  worst,  a  man,  one  of 
those  peripatetic  venders  of  ill  news,  whom  it  would  be 
*ell  to  hang  up  wherever  they  can  be  caught,  came  to 
.iv  hummock,  and  after  taking  a  good  look  at  me,  said 


40  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

u  Boy,  the  doctor  says  you  are  going  to  die."  I  made 
no  answer  to  this  remark,  and  he  continued:  "  The  sick 
bay  steward  says  you  are  to  be  sent  on  shore  to-morrow, 
because  the  ship  is  to  sail  next  week,  and  the  doctor 
lon't  want  to  have  you  die  on  board  the  vessel/'  I  was 
oo  weak  to  make  any  reply  to  this,  but  was  much  ex- 
cited at  the  thought  of  being  sent  ashore.  I  lay  and 
thought  the  matter  over.  If  I  was  put  ashore,  I  felt 
convinced  the  disappointment  would  kill  me ;  and  if  I 
died  at  sea,  I  should  at  any  rate  have  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  dying  on  salt  water,  and  should  be  no  worse  off. 
So  I  determined,  when  next  I  saw  the  doctor,  to  repre- 
sent my  case  to  him,  and  beg  to  be  kept  on  board. 

While  revolving  in  my  mind  the  manner  in  which  I 
should  prefer  my  request,  the  doctor  came  to  my  bedside. 
It  happened,  fortunately  for  my  wishes,  that  the  one  who 
that  day  made  the  rounds  was  a  noble-minded  man,  whosa 
cheerful  and  sympathizing  countenance  and  kind  word  3 
had  really  done  more  for  me  than  all  the  medicine.  To 
him  I  related  my  story,  and  succeeded  in  enlisting  him  in 
my  favor ;  and  before  he  left  me  he  promised  me  faith- 
fully to  intercede  in  my  behalf.  From  that  day  I 
mended.  The  ship  did  not  go  to  sea  before  two  weeks, 
and  by  that  time  I  was  able  to  walk  about  a  little,  and 
to  look  out  once  more  on  the  bright  sun  whose  rays  never 
penetrated  into  our  dingy  "  sick  bay." 

To  be  sick  on  board  ship  seems  to  be  the  very  hight  of 
earthly  misery.  The  sick  room  on  shore,  surrounded  as 
it  is  by  every  comfort,  by  all  the  appliances  invented  by 
art  or  suggested  by  love,  which  can  make  the  sufferer's 
lot  more  bearable,  waited  on  by  sympathizing  friends, 


T  il  i:      SI  C  K      B  A  Y.  41 

watched  with  anxious  and  loving  care,  is  yet  far  from 
desirable.  But  to  be  bedridden  on  ship  board  is  a  horri- 
ble fate.  Cooped  up  with  dozens  of  others  in  a  narrow 
space  on  one  of  the  lower  decks,  badly  ventilated,  and 
reeking  with  all  the  odors  peculiar  to  sick-rooms  and  ship's 
holds,  annoyed  constantly  by  the  fretful  complaint,  the 
dull  moan  of  pain,  or  the  hollow  cough,  half  stifled  per- 
haps by  the  feverish  gasping  of  a  neighbor,  whose  close 
proximity  makes  it  impossible  for  one  to  get  a  breath  of 
fresh  air,  the  invalid  lies  in  his  cot,  hour  after  hour  and 
day  after  day,  thinking  and  thinking,  until  his  brain  is 
bewildered  and  his  soul  grows  weary  and  faint.  At 
stated  intervals,  a  steward  or  loblolly  boy  makes  the 
round  of  all  the  hammocks  and  cots,  and  supplies  the 
wants  of  the  sick.  Twice  a  day,  once  at  nine  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  and  again  at  four,  P.  M.,  the  dull  monotony  is  in- 
vaded by  the  doctor's  visit.  At  dark,  or  in  bad  weather, 
the  port-holes  are  closed,  thus  shutting  out  the  last  rem- 
nant of  fresh  air,  and  a  *  dingy  lantern,  hung  to  the 
beams,  sheds  a  faint  light  around  its  immediate  proximity, 
by  which  the  utter  darkness  of  the  outskirts  is  only  made 
more  clearly  tangible.  And  there  the  sick  man  lies,  his 
cot  swinging  with  the  motion  of  the  vessel,  the  bilge- 
water  rushing  across  the  deck,  the  timbers  creaking  and 
groaning  in  concert  with  the  moan  of  pain,  until  after  an 
almost  interminable  night  the  bustle  and  noise  overhead 
announce  the  advent  of  another  day  of  misery.  Keally, 
it  is  surprising  that  any  one  recovers  in  a  "sick  bay.v 
For  my  own  part,  as  soon  as  I  was  once  able  to  walk  on 
deck,  the  doctor's  steward  saw  my  face  no  more. 


CHAPTER  III 

A.T  Sea  at  last —  Hunting  a  Mess  —  Some  account  of  the  Vessel 
and  her  Crew. 

ON  the  4th  of  June,  18 — ,  we  finally  hoisted  sail  and 
steered  through  the  Narrows,  seaward  bound.  But  we 
were  still  destined  to  delay.  Owing  to  our  heavy  draught 
(twenty-seven  feet) ,  we  were  obliged  to  take  advantage  of 
the  highest  or  spring  tides,  to  make  our  way  out.  While 
going  al.ng  with  a  steamboat  ahead,  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  hold  her  with  the  anchor  a  few  moments,  and  the 
order  was  accordingly  given : 

''Let  go  the  starboard  anchor." 

In  the  general  confusion,  no  one  being  yet  stationed, 
the  chain  stoppers  were  not  sufficiently  manned,  and  the 
tide  carrying  the  ship  along  with  great  force,  the  star- 
board chain  ran  out  end  for  end,  and  was,  with  its  anchor, 
lost  overboard.  The  other  anchor  was  immediately  let 
go,  and  safely  held  her.  This  made  an  all  night's  job 
of  work  for  all  hands,  to  pick  up  the  lost  chain  and  an- 
chor. Besides  this,  the  untoward  accident  was  regarded 
by  many  of  the  old  salts  as  an  evil  omen,  and  prophecies 
of  future  disasters,  inaugurated  by  this,  were  not  wanting 
on  all  sides.  But  we  were  too  busied  with  the  present  to 
:are  much  about  the  future.  By  daylight  we  had 
42 


II  r  N  T  I  N  r.      A      M  E  S  S.  43 

recovered  our  anchor  and  chain,  and  shortly  after,  the 
tide  serving,  we  stood  out  to  sea.  As  soon  as  the  ship 
\v as  fairly  under  weigh,  the  decks  cleared  and  the  hurry 
•and  bustle  over.  1  ventured  on  deck.  My  limbs  were  yet 
\\rak.  and  the  dancing  motion  of  the  vessel,  as  she 
hounded  along  under  a  stiff  topgallant  breeze  made  It 
hard  work  for  me  to  get  along.  But  by  dint  of  clinging 
to  the  guns  the  stancheons  and  ladders,  I  at  length  suc- 

d  in  reaching  the  upper  deck. 

As  I  saw  the  land  gradually  receding  from  view,  and 
felt  the  fresh  sea  breeze  fanning  my  wasted  cheek,  I  first 
began  to  realize  that  I  was  attaining  the  great  desire  of 
my  heart.  We  were  at  last  at  sea.  Already  imagina- 
tion placed  me  in  the  varied  scenes  which  my  fancy  had 
pictured  out  as  attending  upon  the  life  of  a  sailor.  The 
realities  of  life  were  too  present  and  pressing,  however, 
t<>  leave  room  for  dreaming.  On  account  of  my  sickness, 
I  had  not  yet  been  mustered  in  my  station,  either  at 
•  punters,  or  general  duty,  or  mess.  Now,  in  a  vessel  of 
war.  where  every  thing  goes  on  by  the  strictest  rule, 
where  there  is  a  place  assigned  to  every  one,  and  every 
one  is  expected  to  be  in  his  place  an  individual  who  can 
lav  claim  to  no  particular  station  is  likely  to  find  himself 
without  friends,  without  help,  without  any  thing  to  do, 
'  at  even — regarded  by  every  one  with  suspicion  or 
dislike.  This  I  soon  experienced,  for  shortly  it  was  made 
twelve  o'clock,  and  the  crew  were  piped  to  dinner. 
Although  not  hungry,  I  felt  a  desire  to  find  out  my  mess, 
and  have  a  look  at  those  who  were  to  be  my 
I  did  not  know  to  what  mess  1  had  been  assigned,  and 
iiupiin  (1  from  one  to  the  other  along  deck,  but  without 


44  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

success.  Wherever  I  presented  myself,  the  "mess-list" 
was  produced,  and  after  a  careful  scrutiny  my  name  was 
declared  not  to  be  there.  I  was  getting  tired  of  running 
such  a  gauntlet,  and  weighing  in  my  mind  the  propriety  of 
going  down  to  my  cot  in  the  sick-bay,  and  waiting  for  my 
mess  and  stations  to  come  to  me,  when  a  kind-hearted  old 
fellow,  who  had  seen  me  wandering  forlornly  about,  called 
me  to  him  and  offered  me  some  dinner.  I  thankfully  ac- 
cepted the  invitation,  and,  in  answer  to  his  inquiries,  told 
him  of  my  great  desire  to  become  a  sailor,  of  having  left 
home  for  that  purpose,  of  my  past  sickness,  and  of  being 
as  yet  without  mess  or  station.  My  appearance  after  so 
severe  an  illness  was  not  at  all  prepossessing,  as  I  had 
already  learned  from  various  criticisms  passed  upon  me 
while  walking  about  decks.  Something  about  me,  how- 
ever, pleased  the  old  tars,  and  it  was  suggested  by  one 
that,  as  they  had  not  yet  any  boy  in  the  mess,  and  I 
^oked  tolerably  civil,  they  should  take  me.  After  a 
little  canvassing,  pro  and  con,  this  proposition  was  unan- 
imously adopted,  and  I  was  duly  entered  on  the  mess-list, 
after  dinner,  by  the  commander's  clerk.  Repairing  to  this 
gentleman's  desk,  and  giving  in  my  name,  I  was  furnished' 
with  an  abstract  from  the  books,  by  which  could  be  seen 
at  one  glance  my  ship's  number,  by  which  each  individual 
is  known  on  the  purser's  account  bcoks ;  my  hammock 
number,  by  finding  which  among  the  tinned  numbers 
nailed  above  the  hooks,  in  the  beams  and  carlings  of  the 
two  lower  decks,  I  secured  my  sleeping  place  ;  my  general 
station  in  the  ship,  as  well  as  a  specification  of  particular 
duties  in  certain  emergencies ;  my  station  at  the  gun,  and 
finally,  but  not  by  any  means  least  important,  the 


MY     STATION     AND     DUTIES.  45 

number  of  my  mess.  Paper  in  hand,  I  now  spent  the 
balance  of  the  afternoon  in  hunting  up  the  various  places 
in  the  ship,  which  were  to  be  the  particular  scenes  of  my 
future  labors.  It  appeared  from  the  list  that  I  waa 
appointed  one  of  the  "  messenger  boys,"  whose  general 
duty  it  is  to  "  strike  the  bell "  every  half  hour,  and  to 
act  as  errand  boy  for  the  officers,  in  addition  to  which, 
when  the  vessel  is  in  port,  they  stand  at  the  side,  to  do 
honor  to  officers  going  away  or  coming  on  board,  and  have 
also  to  keep  clean  the  side  ladder,  which  leads  from  tli  3 
water's  edge  to  the  deck.  My  station  at  quarters,  or  in 
time  of  battle,  was  as  powder  boy  at  gun  No.  36,  on  the 
main  gun-deck ;  my  hammock  number  was  six  hundred 
mi- 1  thirty  nine;  my  ship's  number,  five  hundred  and 
sr  \cnty-four ;  and  the  number  of  my  mess,  twenty-six. 
Thus  was  the  whole  routine  of  my  life  on  board  this 
vessel  laid  out  for  me. 

Here  is,  perhaps,  as  good  a  place  as  farther  on,  to 
I'xplain.  as  well  as  can  be  to  the  landsman  reader,  the 
ma inier  in  which  the  crew  of  a  vessel  of  war  is  divided 
and  subdivided,  so  as  to  give  to  each  individual  in  the 
company  some  special  duties,  for  the  due  and  proper  per- 
formance of  which  he  is  held  strictly  accountable.  First, 
however,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  a  short  description 
of  the  vessel. 

The  decks  may  be  regarded  as  so  many  floors.  On  the 
UJIJX.T  or  spar-deck,  as  it  is  called,  the  space  between  the 
bows  and  foremast  is  called  the  forecastle ;  those  between 
tlui  ton-mast  and  mainmast,  on  each  side  of  the  boats 
(\vliirh  are  st<»\\vd  amidships),  are  the  gai  llu-se 

portions  are  free  to  the  sailors — more  particularly  to  the 


46  M  A  N-O  F- W  A  R     L  I  F  K  : 

"  watch  on  deck."  Abaft  the  mainmast  is  the  quarter- 
deck, the  holy  of  holies  of  a  man-of-war,  where  only  the 
officers  are  allowed  to  congregate,  the  starboard  side  of  it 
being  forbidden  even  to  the  midshipmen  and  on  entering 
which  every  one,  even  the  captain,  is  required  to  touch 
his  hat  or  cap.  Abaft  the  mizzenmast  is  the  poop,  a 
raised  deck,  beneath  which  is  the  commodore's  cabin. 
On  top  of  the  bulwarks,  which  run  all  around  the  upper 
deck,  are  the  square  casings,  by  a  figure  of  speech  called 
hammock  nettings,  in  which  are  deposited  the  seamen's 
and  midshipmen's  hammocks.  Most  American  ships  of 
the  line  do  not  carry  a  full  tier  of  guns  on  the  spar-deck, 
the  waist  being  left  without  port-holes.  Next  below  th? 
spar-deck,  is  the  main-deck.  This  and  the  one  below,  calle  1 
the  lower  gun-deck,  or  berth-deck,  have  full  tiers  of 
guns — thirty-two  and  sixty-eight  pounders.  Commencing 
aft  on  the  main-deck,  we  have  first  the  captain's  cabin 
and  pantry ;  next  comes  what  is  called  the  "  half  deck." 
extending  to  the  mainmast,  the  larboard  side  of  which  is 
always  kept  clear  —  as  much  so  as  the  quarter-deck. 
Over  the  door  of  the  captain's  cabin  hangs  the  clock, 
which  regulates  the  ship's  time ;  before  the  door  paces  a 
sentinel  who,  besides  barring  entrance  to  the  cabin  to 
all  intruders,  and  announcing  visitors  to  the  captain, 
keeps  note  of  the  time,  and  calls  out  the  half  hours  to 
the  officer  of  the  deck,  who  thereupon  tells  the  messenger 
boy  on  duty  to  '•  strike  the  bell."  Time,  on  ship  board, 
is  divided  into  watches  and  reckoned  by  bells.  The 
twenty-four  hours  are  arranged  in  five  watches  of  four 
hours  each,  and  two  shorter  ones  of  two  hours  each, 
called  the  dog-watches.  At  the  end  of  the  first  half  hour 


T  H  E     S  II  I  P.  47 

of  a  wateh,  the  ship's  bell  is  struck  one  ;  at  the  end  of  the 
second  half  hour,  two  and  so  on,  until  it  is  eight  bells, 
which  marks  the  expiration  of  four  hours,  or  a  watch, 
when  the  series  is  recommenced.  Therefore,  on  board 
ship,  we  do  not  ask  *•  what's  o'clock?"  or  "  what  time  ia 
it  ?"  but  •*  how  many  bells  is  it  ?"  Near  the  foremast,  on 
the  main-deck,  is  the  galley,  or  cooking  range,  for  the 
commodore  and  captain,  and  chock  forward,  on  the  star- 
board side,  is  the  "  brig,"  an  open  space  guarded  by  a 
sentinel,  where  offenders  against  th  j  laws  or  rules  of  the 
ship  are  placed  in  confinement  until  the  time  comes  for 
their  final  punishment.  On  this  deck,  as  on  the  one 
below,  hooks  are  driven  into  the  beams,  with  numbers 
attached,  and  to  these  hooks  the  sailors  hang  their  ham- 
mocks, at  night.  The  port-holes,  on  the  main-deck,  are 
furnished  with  movable  ports,  stout  pieces  of  plank,  made 
to  fit  tightly  into  the  port-holes,  to  keep  out  water  in  bad 
weather.  When  the  weather  is  fine,  these  are  entirely 
taken  out,  and  thus  this  deck  is  thoroughly  ventilated 
and  lighted  up. 

The  next  deck  is  the  lower  gun -deck.  Farthest  aft, 
reaching  forward  to  the  mizzenmast,  is  the  wardroom,  the 
Jving  room  of  the  lieutenants,  the  surgeons,  the  purser, 
master,  chaplain,  and  commodore's  secretary.  The  space 
in  the  guns  on  this  deck  is  occupied  by  the  "mess- 
chests  "  and  the  mess-lockers,  in  which  the  pots,  pans,  and 
spoons  used  by  the  sailors,  as  well  as  the  victuals,  are 
kept.  Immediately  before  the  foremast  is  the  ship's  galley, 
where  the  cooks  reign  supreme.  Here  the  food  for  the 
ship's  company,  as  well  as  that  of  the  lieutenants  and 
midshipman,  is  prepared.  Forward  of  the  galley,  taking 


4-8  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  K     L  I  V  E  : 

up  all  the  forward  part  of  this  deck,  is  the  "  sick  bay," 
the  surgeons'  realm,  of  the  horrors  of  which  I  have 
already  attempted  a  faint  description. 

We  now  descend  to  a  floor  beneath,  called  the  orlop- 
deck.  On  the  aftermost  part  of  this  deck,  and  reaching 
quite  into  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  is  an  enormously 
large  space,  tightly  tinned  throughout,  which  is  used  as 
a  breadroom.  Forward  of  this,  at  the  sides,  or  "  in  the 
wings,"  to  speak  in  nautical  language,  are  the  private 
rooms  of  the  wardroom  officers.  In  amidships  is  an  open 
space  used  for  a  cock-pit,  or  surgeons'  room,  in  time  of 
action.  Then  come  the  steerages,  larboard  and  starboard, 
where  the  midshipmen,  purser's  and  ship's  clerks  mess. 
Next,  the  boatswain's,  gunner's,  sailmaker's,  and  carpen- 
ter's rooms ;  and  then,  immediately  under  the  sick  bay, 
the  storerooms,  where  are  deposited  the  boatswain's,  car- 
penter's, and  sailmaker's  stores. 

Below  the  orlop-deck  is  the  hold.  Forward  and  aft  in 
the  hold  are  the  powder  magazines,  accessible  from  the 
deck  by  small  magazine-hatches.  Aft  of  the  forward 
magazine  is  the  forehold,  where  are  stored  all  the  wet 
provisions,  such  as  beef  and  pork,  and  also  a  portion  of 
the  shot.  Abaft  this  come  the  chain-lockers  and  cable- 
tiers,  with  the  principal  shot-locker.  Beyond  this  is  the 
afterhold,  for  flour  and  other  dry  provisions;  then  the 
spiritroom,  which  is  guarded  by  a  sentinel ;  next,  a  large 
vacant  space,  the  anteroom  to  the  largest  powder  magazine, 
and  then  the  magazine  itself.  Below  the  beams  which 
support  the  tiers  of  the  hold,  are  the  water-tanks,  large 
variously-shaped  vessels  of  iron,  made  to  fit  nicely  to  the 
shape  of  the  ship,  throughout,  and  from  which  the  water 


THE     TOP      HAMPER.  49 

for  daily  consumption  is  pumped  by  means  of  a  suction- 
hose,  which  can  be  screwed  into  a  hole  left  for  that  pur 
pose  in  the  lids  or  coverings  of  the  tanks,  thus  enabling 
the  master,  who  has  that  matter  in  charge  to  take  water 
fiorn  any  tank  he  thinks  proper. 

Having  given  a  description  of  the  interior  arrange- 
ment of  our  vessel  (whi.h  will  apply,  with  some  slight 
variations,  to  all  other  ships  of  the  line  and  frigates) , 
we  will  now  describe  the  "  top  hamper  " — the  masts  and 
sails. 

A  ship,  in  the  technical  sense  of  the  word,  is  a  vessel 
laving  three  masts,  and  carrying  square  sails  on  all 
The  masts  of  a  vessel  are  called,  beginning  for- 
v.  ard,  the  foremast,  mainmast,  and  mizzenmast.  Pro- 
j -jo  ting  over  the  bows  and  ahead  of  the  vessel  are  the 
f.HWsprit,  jibboom,  &ud  flying  jibboom.  Above  the  fore- 
mast proper,  is  the  foretopmast,  a  separate  piece  of 
timber,  and  above  that  the  foretopgallant  and  royal 
mast.  The  main  and  mizzen  masts  are  similarly  rigged. 

We  will  proceed  to  describe  an  entire  suit  of  sails, 
beginning  forward :  The  flying  jib  is  a  three-cornered 
sail,  which  goes  from  the  end  of  its  boom,  upward  along 
its  stay,  leading  to  the  foretopgallant  masthead,  its  long 
h-urh,  or  side,  being  confined  to  the  stay  by  iron  or 
wooden  rings,  called  hanks.  It  is  hoisted  by  its  hal- 
yards, hauled  down  to  the  boom  by  a  down-haul,  and, 
when  in  use,  is  trimmed  to  take  the  wind,  by  a  rope 
attached  to  its  after  corner  and  leading  into  the  fore- 
cnstlo,  called  a  sheet.  The  jib,  running  from  the  end 
of  its  boom,  up  its  stay,  to  the  foretop  masthead ;  and 
the  foretopmast  staysail,  running  from  the  end  of  the 
4 


50  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

bowsprit  up  to  the  same  place,  are  similar  in  form.  The 
lower  sail  on  the  foremast  is  the  foresail,  bent  or  fas- 
tened to  the  fore  yard,  and  spread  at  the  foot  by  means 
of  tacks  and  sheets.  Above  the  foreyard,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  foremast  and  foretopmast,  is  the  foretop,  a 
large  platform,  securely  fixed  to  wooden  braces  or  trustle- 
trees,  and  used,  on  board  vessels  of  war,  as  a  place  where 
a  portion  of  the  watch  remain  in  readiness  to  cast  loose 
or  take  in  the  lighter  sails,  and  furnished  with  a  top- 
chest,  in  which  are  deposited  the  marlingspikes  and  other 
tools  belonging  to  that  portion  of  the  vessel.  The  sail 
next  above  the  foresail  is  the  foretopsail,  bent  to  the 
topsail  yard,  and  hoisted  aloft,  with  the  yard,  by  means 
of  halyards.  Its  lower  corners  are  hauled  out  to  the 
extremities  of  the  foreyard  by  sheets,  which  lead  down 
on  deck.  The  small  ropes  which  hang  in  rows  across 
the  sail,  are  called  reef  points,  and  are  used  in  reefing 
the  sail ;  that  is,  reducing  it  by  hauling  a  portion  of  its 
head  to  the  topsail  yard,  and  there  fastening  it.  Next 
comes  the  topgattantsail,  bent  to  its  yard,  and  sheeting 
home  to  the  topsail  yard ;  and  above  all,  the  royal,  rig- 
ged in  the  same  manner.  The  royal  is  the  highest  sail 
commonly  carried  by  vessels  of  war.  East  Indiamen, 
however,  are  frequently  seen  with  skysails,  and  even 
moonsails,  following  in  regular  succession,  and  almost 
losing  themselves  in  the  clouds.  All  these  sails  are 
turned  at  pleasure,  by  means  of  braces  attached  to  the 
yardarms,  or  extremities  of  the  yards,  and  leading  to  the 
mainmast.  The  mainmast  is  furnished  with  a  similar 
suit  of  sails,  somewhat  larger ;  the  mizzenmast,  also, 
though  these  are  smaller  than  either  of  the  others ;  the 


A     BOY'S     EXPERIENCE.  51 

latter  too,  instead  of  a  square  sail  pendant  from  the  lowei 
yard,  has  a  gaff,  or  fore-and-aft  sail,  hoisting  up  abaft 
the  mast ;  this  is  called  a  spanker.  Similar  gaff-sails, 
on  the  fore  and  main  irasts,  are  called  topsail*.  The 
Last  are  only  used  in  storms.  Studdiny-sails,  spread 
beyond  the  edges  of  the  square  sails,  like  wings,  are  very 
useful  when  the  wind  is  fair  ;  they  are  hauled  down  on 
deck  when  taken  in.  The  rudder,  by  which  the  vessel  is 
turned  about  at  pleasure,  is  a  very  strongly-constructed 
wooden  apparatus,  hung  on  hinges,  at  the  stern,  and 
running  into  the  water  to  a  level  with  the  keel.  It  is 
moved  by  means  of  chains  and  pulleys,  the  chains  being 
connected  with  the  barrel  of  a  wheel,  which  stands  on 
deck.  The  wheel  of  our  vessel  was  double,  and  worked 
by  four  men.  Immediately  in  front  of  the  wheel,  on 
either  ^ide,  stands  a  box,  containing  a  compass,  and  a 
lamp  to  make  the  face  of  the  compass  visible  by  night. 
This  case  is  called  the  binnacle. 

The  ground  tackle  of  the  vessel  is  her  anchors  and 
cables.  Of  these,  our  ship  had  four  for  immediate  use, 
namely,  two  very  heavy  anchors,  suspended  in  the  waist, 
called  sheet  anchors,  an!  only  used  in  emergencies — to 
one  of  these  was  bent  an  extraordinarily  heavy  rope 
cable,  to  the  other,  an  extra  heavy  chain.  So  seldom  are 
these  anchors  used,  that  to  "go  ashore  with  the  sheet 
anchor  "  is  an  expression  used  to  denote  a  determination  to 
stay  on  board  the  whole  cruise.  Two  others  are  suspended 
to  the  bows,  and  are  called  respectively,  the  larboard,  or 
/H'sf  bower,  and  the  starboard,  or  second  bower.  The 
latter  is  commonly  the  first  one  let  go.  Besides  these,  our 
Bhip  had  two  large  spare  anchors,  and  a  number  of  lighter 


52         -  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

stream  anchors  and  kedgcs,  of  various  sizes  and  weight*. 
We  will  now  give  a  list  of  the  officers  and  petty  officers 
of  a  ship  of  the  line.  They  are : 

One  captain,  one  commander,  eight  lieutenants,  one 
bailing  master,  one  chaplain,  one  surgeon,  three  assistants, 
one  purser,  four  master's  mates,  sixteen  midshipmen, 
one  boatswain,  one  gunner,  one  carpenter,  one  sa.ilmaker, 
one  captain's  clerk,  one  commander's  clerk,  one  purser's 
clerk,  one  schoolmaster,  one  master-at-arms,  two  ship 
corporals,  one  purser's  steward,  nine  quarter  masters, 
six  boatswain's  mates,  three  gunner's  mates,  eight  quarter 
gunners,  two  carpenter's  mates,  two  sailmaker's  mates,  two 
captains  of  forecastle  (receiving  pay,)  two  captains  of 
foretop,  two  of  maintop,  two  of  mizzentop,  and  two  of  a  'ter 
guard,  one  armourer,  one  yeoman,  one  yeoman's  assistant, 
one  ship's  tcok,  one  captain  of  marines,  two  lieutenants  or 
marines,  three  sergeants,  four  co  po-als,  two  drummers, 
two  fibers. 

Our  ship  being  the  flag-ship,  we  carried  the  commodore. 
This  officer,  however,  can  not  be  said  to  belong  to  any  one 
ship,  his  authority  extending  equally  over  all  the  fleet  of 
vessels  placed  under  his  charge. 

It  will  be  well  here  to  give  the  reader  an  insight  into 
the  duties  of  the  various  officers  above  enumerated.  The 
commodore  is,  of  course,  the  supreme  head,  from  whose 
decision  there  is,  for  the  time  being,  no  appeal.  But  his 
command,  or  authority,  being  general,  over  the  whole 
fleet,  he  interferes  very  little,  if  any,  with  the  minor 
affairs  of  the  vessel  on  board  which  his  pennant  flies 

Our  commodore  was,  however,  as  the  crew  of  the  C 

lav  reuson  to  know7,  an  exception  to  this  rule.     He  often 


THE     SHIP'S     COMPANY.  tr»3 

inter  "cred  in  the  general  management  of  our  ship,  and 
always  in  favor  of  the  crew.  For  this  he  was  much 
beloved  by  a.l  hands  and  it  was  a  common  saying  among 
the  old  salts,  \\hen  the  commodore  was  about  to  leave  the 
vessel  for  a  time,  as  he  frequently  did,  "  now  the  ?ld 
fellow  has  gone  away,  we'll  see  some  hard  times,"  a 
p  ophecy  which  was  generally  fulfilled.  The  commodore 
directs  and  controls  the  motions  of  the  fleet  under  his 
command,  and  has  charge  of  all  business  of  a  public 
nature,  to  be  transacted  with  foreign  powers.  In  time 
of  war,  of  course,  his  duties  are  much  more  important 
t  nd  responsible  than  in  peace. 

At  the  head  of  the  officers  properly  belonging  to  the 
*  hip,  stands  the  captain.  He  has  a  general  superintend- 
ence over  the  affairs  of  the  vessel,  and  all  orders  of  a 
{ eneral  nature  are  supposed  to  emanate  from  him.  He 
is  responsible  for  the  safety  of  the  vessel  while  he  has 
charge  of  her,  in  poi  t  as  well  as  at  sea.  He  exercises  a1  so  a 
general  oversight  over  the  conduct  of  the  officers,  and  has 
the  power  of  punishing  such  as  aie  guilty  of  impropikties. 

The  first  lieutenant  is  next  in  power  to  the  captain. 
He  has  not  the  responsibilities  of  the  latter,  but  his  duties 
are  much  more  laborious,  it  being  his  part  to  carry  into 
execution  the  measures  devised  by  the  captain.  He  keeps 
no  wateh,  but  is  on  duty  all  day.  He  thoroughly  in.- 
the  vessel  at  least  once  every  day,  to  see  that  everything 
about  her  rigging,  hull,  and  crew  is  kept  in  good  order 
and  clean,  reporting  again  to  the  captain.  All  repo.  ts 
of  the  minor  officers,  concerning  expenditures  of  stores 
and  provisions,  are  made  to  him.  All  communications  to 
the  captain  pass  through  his  hands.  On  occasions 


54  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE'. 

"  all  hands "  are  called,  as  in  getting  under  weigh,  or 
coming  to,  reefing  topsails,  etc.,  he  has  charge  of  the 
deck.  He  superintends  the  watering  and  victualing  of 
the  vessel,  in  which  duty  he  is  assisted  by  the  master 
At  quarters  he  has  charge  of  the  quarter  deck  divisbo 
and  in  action  he  maneuvers  the  ship.  But  the  mos 
arduous  of  all  his  multifarious  duties  is  the  stationing  of 
the  crew  when  the  ship  is  put  in  commission.  This  is  a 
matter  for  which  is  needed  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
requirements  of  the  ship,  a  judgment  quick  and  sure,  to 
decide  upon  the  capabilities  of  the  various  individuals 
composing  the  crew,  and  great  patience  and  foresight. 
The  first  lieutenant  is  a  terror  to  all  evil-doers  and 
slovenly,  idle  fellows,  as  his  eagle  eye  is  busied  at  all  times 
ferreting  out  such.  The  comfort  of  all  on  board,  officers 
as  well  as  men,  greatly  depends  upon  him.  On  board  our 
vessel,  the  duties  of  the  first  lieutenant  were  discharged 
by  the  commander. 

The  other  lieutenants,  by  turns,  have  charge  of  the 
deck,  relieving  one  another  regularly  every  four  hours,  in 
port  as  well  as  at  sea.  At  sea,  the  officer  of  the  watch, 
or  officer  of  the  deck,  as  he  is  called,  attends  to  sailing 
the  vessel,  seeing  that  the  sails  are  trimmed  as  necessary, 
that  the  ship  is  kept  her  course,  and  putting  in  execution 
the  orders  for  his  watch,  found  in  the  order  book,  which 
hangs  near  the  wheel.  He  is  responsible  for  all  that 
occurs  during  his  watch,  and  reports  to  the  captain  any 
extraordinary  occurrence,  changes  in  the  wind  or  weather, 
the  discovery  of  sails  or  land,  etc.  The  speaking-trumpet 
is  the  insignia  of  his  authority.  He  keeps  a  sharp  eye 
on  the  compass,  the  s!tils,  and  the  weather ;  at  night. 


THE     OFFICERS.  ftf 

lias  the  captain  waked  at  stated  periods,  and  sees  thai 
the  lookouts  are  kept  awake ;  and  finally,  at  the  end  of 
his  watjh,  has  an  account  of  the  weather,  the  course  and 
distance  made  good,  and  other  matters,  entered  upon  the 
log- slate.  In  harbor,  the  officer  of  the  deck  receives  any 
stores  or  provisions  that  may  be  s  nt  on  board,  superin 
tends  the  sending  away  of  the  boats,  keeps  a  lookout  for 
what  is  occurring  in  the  harbor,  and  reports  the  arrival 
of  vessels,  with  other  important  occurrences,  to  the  cap- 
tain. Beside  this,  the  lieutenants  are  placed  in  charge 
of  divisions,  and  there  exercise  the  men  at  the  guns,  and 
small  arms  and  cutlasses,  and  superintend  the  issue  of 
clothing  to  them,  by  the  purser. 

Next  in  rank  to  the  lieutenants  is  the  sailing-master. 
He  keeps  the  ship's  reckoning  and  reports  this  to  the 
<  aptain  daily,  together  with  the  bearings  and  distance 
of  the  nearest  land,  or  the  port  whither  the  vessel  is 
liound.  He  also  exercises  a  supervision  over  nearly  all 
the  stores  of  the  vessel,  having  charge  more  particularly 
over  the  water  and  spirits,  the  anchors  and  cables.  He 
has  the  management  of  the  storage  of  the  hold,  and  sees 
that  the  vessel  is  put  and  kept  in  good  sailing  trim.  He 
seconds  the  first  lieutenant  in  many  of  his  duties.  In 
the  English  Navy,  the  grade  of  master  is  an  independent 
one,  for  whieh  peculiar  qualifications  are  required,  and 
above  which  an  incumbent  does  not  rise.  In  the  Ameri- 
can Navy,  it  is  a  grade  between  the  passed  midshipman 
a*:d  the  lieutenant. 

Next  come  the  idlers,  so  called  because  they  do  not 
keep  watch,  in  which  designation  are  included  the  purser, 
the  surgeon  and  his  assistants,  and  the  chaplain,  with 


56  MAN-OP-WAR    LIFE: 

the  captain  and  lieutenants  of  marines.  The  purser 
has  under  his  especial  charge  all  the  moneys,  the 
provisions,  and  clothing  in  the  ship.  The  accounts  of 
the  ship  and  crew  are  kept  by  him.  In  former  times, 
the  salary  of  the  purser  was  very  small,  and  he  was 
allowed  to  sell  the  clothing  and  small  stores  to  the  crew 
on  his  own  account,  to  make  up  the  deficiency.  Under  this 
system,  the  crews  were  often  outrageously  swindl  d,  and 
to  fall  into  the  purser's  hands  became  equivalent  to  being 
unmercifully  fleeced.  This  matter  is  now  differently 
arranged,  stores  of  all  kinds  being  provided  by  the  gov- 
ernment, and  placed  in  charge  of  the  pursers,  who  aie 
strictly  prohibited  from  driving  a  trade  of  their  own. 
Their  responsibilities  are  very  great  and  they  are  obliged 
to  give  heavy  bonds  for  their  correct  behavior,  before 
assuming  their  office. 

A  surgeon  and  three  assistant  surgeons  form  the  medi- 
cal staff  of  a  seventy-four  or  ship  of  the  line.  They 
keep  a  regular  journal,  in  which  are  noted  down  the 
names,  rank,  diseases,  etc.,  of  all  the  sick  on  board,  as 
well  as  the  course  of  treatment  adopted  toward  each. 
An  abstract  report,  containing  the  names,  rank,  and  dis- 
eases of  the  sick,  and  showing  the  increase  or  decrease 
in  number,  if  any,  is  signed  by  a  surgeon  every  morn- 
ing, and  handed  to  the  captain.  Besides  this,  a  sick-list, 
containing  simply  the  name  and  station  of  every  sick 
man,  is  placed  in  the  binnacle,  each  morning,  for  the 
use  of  the  officer  of  the  deck.  No  one  is  excused  from 
duty  on  account  of  illness,  whose  name  is  not  to  be  f  )u«d 
on  this  list.  Besides  attending  upon  the  sick,  the  sur- 


THE     OFFICERS.  ;">/ 

geons  enforce  such  precautionary  measures  as  will  tend 
to  the  prevention  of  sickness  on  board. 

The  chaplain  performs  divine  service  on  Sundays, 
administers  consolation  to  the  dying,  and  reads  the  fune- 
ral service  on  occasions  of  burials. 

The  officers  of  marines  enjoy  almost  a  sinecure,  in 
time  of  peace.  To  review  the  corps  once  a  week,  and 
receive  and  transmit  to  the  captain  the  reports  of  the 
sergeant,  is  about  the  sum  total  of  their  labors — to  per- 
form which  a  ship  of  the  line  carries  one  captain  and 
two  lieutenants  of  marines.  Thus,  there  has  arisen  a 
sailor's  saying,  that  "  the  mizzenroyal  and  the  captain 
of  maiines  are  the  two  most  useless  things  on  bo..rd 
ship." 

The  midshipmen  occupy  rather  a  subordinate  position 
among  the  officers,  being  placed  on  board  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  themselves  for  the  duties  of  a  higher  sta- 
tion They  keep  watch,  and,  when  on  deck,  carry  into 
effect  the  orders  of  the  officer  of  the  deck.  When  "  all 
hands  "  are  called,  they  are  stationed  in  the  tops,  and  at 
different  points  about  the  decks,  to  see  that  o.ders  from 
the  quarter-deck  are  promptly  executed.  At  sea,  one  of 
the  passed  midshipmen,  or  master's  mates,  has  charge  of 
the  forecastle,  where  he  carries  on  the  work.  They  mus- 
ter the  watch  at  night,  and  take  the  sun's  altitude  at 
noon,  working  out  by  it  the  ship's  reckoning.  They  are 
re  juired  to  keep  a  journal  of  the  cruise,  which  is  exam- 
ined at  stated  intervals  by  the  captain.  In  po»t,  one 
goes  in  charge  of  every  boat  that  leaves  the  vessel.  At 
quarters,  they  muster  the  gun's  crews,  and  report  to  the 
lieutenants. 


58  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

Next  come  the  warrant  officers  —  the  boatswain,  the 
gunner,  the  sailmaker,  and  carpenter.  The  boatswain 
(pronounced  bosun)  is  the  chief  sailor.  He  has  charge 
of  the  rigging  of  the  vessel,  and  is  responsible  to  the  first 
lieutenant  that  all  aloft  is  kept  in  good  order.  He  is 
easily  distinguished  by  the  silver  whistle  stuck  in  his 
vest  pocket,  his  rattan  cane,  the  terror  of  all  little  boys, 
his  stentorian  voice,  and  the  Bardolphian  hue  of  his 
features.  His  station  at  quarters,  and  when  all  hands 
are  called,  is  on  the  forecastle. 

The  gunner  has  charge  of  all  the  military  stores.  At 
quarters,  his  station  is  in  the  magazine.  His  principal 
occupation,  in  time  of  peace,  seems  to  be  to  keep  up  an 
incessant  growl  about  his  guns. 

The  sailmaker  has  charge  of  all  the  canvas  in  the 
;>hip,  including  the  hammocks,  sick  bay  cots,  etc.  The 
cai  penter  is  responsible  for  the  stores  belonging  to  his 
department,  and  superintends  all  work  in  his  line.  The 
boatswain,  sailmaker,  and  carpenter  go  aloft  every  morn- 
ing, before  breakfast,  at  sea,  and  examine  the  condition 
of  the  rigging,  sails,  and  masts,  making  their  reports  to 
the  first  lieutenant,  who  generally  gives  the  top-hamper  a 
personal  inspection  twice  a  week. 

The  original  division  of  the  crew  is  into  petty  officers, 
able  seamen,  ordinary  seamen,  landsmen,  and  first  and 
second  class  boys.  An  able  seaman's  wages  amount  to 
twelve  dollars  per  month  ;  ordinary  seamen,  ten ;  lands- 
men, nine ;  first  class  boys,  eight ;  second  class  boys,  six. 
The  petty  officers  are  appointed  by  the  captain,  and  hold 
office  at  his  will,  or  during  good  behavior.  They  are 
selected  from  the  most  experienced  and  reliable  of  the 


THE     PETTY-OFFICERS.  59 

seamen.  Their  wages  vary  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars 
per  month 

First  among  the  petty  offic  rs  ranks  the  master-at- 
(tnns.  He  stands  at  the  head  of  the  police  force  of  the 
ship.  He  has  charge  of  all  prisoners,  a  list  of  whose 
names,  misdemeanors,  and  the  dates  of  their  confine- 
ment, he  submits  every  morning  to  the  captain.  He  is 
lord  over  the  berth-deck,  and  the  terror  of  slovenly  or 
dilatory  cooks.  It  is  his  business,  also,  to  take  charge 
of  all  articles  of  clothing  or  other  property  left  lying 
about  decks,  on  the  guns,  or  any  where  except  in  their 
proper  places.  Sujh  things  are  placed  in  a  lucky-bag, 
which  is  opened,  when  full,  in  the  presence  of  the  first 
lieutenant,  when  all  who  come  forward  to  claim  property 
have  it  returned,  and  are  placed  on  the  black-list,  while 
articles  for  which  there  is  found  no  owner,  are  sold  to 
the  highest  bidder.  The  master-at-arms  is  assisted  in 
his  labors  by  two  ships  corporals.  To  these  three,  also, 
falls  the  duty  of  searching  returning  boats1  crews,  in 
port,  for  liquor,  which  these  frequently  smuggle  on  board 
on  their  persons. 

The  quartermasters  hold  an  office  of  considerable  trust. 
They  and  the  captains  of  the  forecastle  are  supposed  to 
be  the  very  best  among  the  seamen.  At  sea,  one  of  their 
number  cons  the  ship :  that  is,  watches  the  helmsman, 
and,  standing  in  an  elevated  position,  aids  him  in  meet- 
ing with  the  helm  the  motions  of  the  vessel.  At  quar- 
ters, and  in  time  of  action,  they  steer  the  vessel,  as  also 
on  occasions  when  all  hands  are  called.  Those  not 
stc  rinir  "i-  rnitnint/.  keep  a  lookout.  In  port,  two  of 
tin-in  arc  always  on  lockout,  with  si  m<l  ivj.  rt 


0*0  MAN-OP-WAR    LIFE: 

to  the  officer  of  the  deck  any  boats  coining  alongside,  \si 
signals  made,  o-r  other  movements  in  the  harbor.  The 
colors  and  signals  are  under  their  general  charge,  but  one 
of  their  number  is  chosen,  who  has  them  under  his  espe- 
cial care,  and  repairs  them  and  makes  new  ones  when 
necessary.  He  is  called  the  signal-quartermaster. 

The  boatswain's  mates,  as  their  names  denote,  assist 
the  boatswain  in  the  duties  of  his  office.  They  carry  a 
silver  whistle,  or  call,  with  which  they  pipe,  either  to 
call  attention  to  what  is  about  to  be  ordered,  or  to  give 
the  order  itself.  There  are  two  stationed  on  the  fore- 
castle, one  in  each. gangway,  one  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
one  on  the  main-deck.  Orders  for  trimming  sails,  or  other 
watch  duty,  are  communicated  to  the  crew  through  them. 
Thus,  should  the  captain,  coming  on  deck,  wish  a  pull 
on  the  main  brace,  naval  etiquette  requires  that  he  in- 
form the  officer  of  the  deck,  who  in  turn  tells  the  mid- 
shipman of  the  watch,  who  passes  the  word  to  the 
boatswain's  mate,  who  bawls  out  to  the  watch : 

"  Come  this  way,  and  get  a  small  pull  on  the  weather 
main-brace." 

The  gunner's  mates  and  the  quarter  gunners  have  the 
guns  and  their  accouterments  under  their  especial  charge. 
There  is  a  gunner's  mate  to  each  gun-deck,  and  a  quarter 
gunner  to  each  division.  They  assist  their  chief  in  hig 
self-imposed  task  of  growling  at  every  body  and  every 
thing 

These  are  the  most  important  of  the  petty  officers. 
\  e  now  come  to  the  crew  proper.  For  general  purposes 
of  working  ship  and  daily  routine,  our  crew,  consisting 
of  seven  hundred  and  fifteen  men  and  boys,  was  divided, 


THE     C  K  EW.  61 

primarily,  into  two  watches,  called  the  starboard  and 
larboard,  one  half  being  in  each  watch  ;  and  secondarily, 
into  six  great  portions  or  divisions,  called,  from  the  parts 
of  the  vessel  to  which  they  were  respectively  attached, 
the  forecastlemen,  foretopmen,  maintopmen,  mizzentop 
men,  afterguard,  and  waisters.  Besides  these,  there  ar 
the  petty  officers,  the  messenger  boys,  the  marines,  the 
cooks  and  cooks'  mates  or  assistants,  and  the  sick  bay 
and  officers'  stewards  and  servants.  Every  individual  on 
board  is  in  one  or  other  of  the  two  watches,  except  a 
small  bund,  called  the  idlers,  consisting  chiefly  of  cooks 
and  servants,  who,  being  busied  all  day,  are  not  required 
to  keep  watch  at  night. 

We  now  come  to  another  subdivision  of  each  of  the 
six  principal  divisions.  In  order  to  make  this  matter 
plainer,  we  will  take  the  foretopmen  to  illustrate  the 
whole.  There  were  stationed  in  our  foretop,  just  sixty- 
four  men,  making  thirty-two  in  each  watch.  Each 
watch  is  again  split  in  half,  making  sixteen  in  each  of 
these  new  divisions,  which  are  called  "  quarter  watches." 
Over  each  of  these  quarter  watches  there  is  placed  a 
captain,  who  carries  out  the  orders  given  to  his  depart- 
ment, exercises  a  general  oversight,  and  is,  to  some  ex- 
tent, responsible  for  the  good  order  of  everything  in  his 
particular  jK>rtion  of  the  vessel.  Thus,  there  are  four 
captains,  two  first  captains  and  two  second,  in  each  of 
the  principal  divisions  of  the  ship's  company,  except  the 
'•rs,  who  have  only  two.  Only  one  watch,  or  half 
of  the  crew,  is  on  duty  at  any  time,  day  <>r  niirht.  at  sea. 
They  take  regular  turns,  "  a  watch  "  beiug  four  hours  in 
length.  To  prevent  the  constant  recurrence  of  the  same 


62  MAN-OP-WAR    LIFE: 

watch  to  the  same  portion  of  the  crew,  as  before  men- 
tioned, the  time,  from  four  to  eight,  P.  M.  is  divided  into 
two  shorter  watches  of  only  two  hours  each,  called  dog 
watches.  By  this  arrangement,  the  men  who  are  on 
watjh  from  eight  to  twelve  one  night,  and  consequently 
sleep  from  twelve  to  four,  and  are  again  on  duty  from 
four  to  eight,  sleep  during  the  same  time  the  succeeding 
night,  watching  only  from  twelve  to  four. 

In  addition  to  this,  of  the  topmen,  one  half  of  a  watch, 
or  a  "  quarter  watch  "  as  above  described,  is  required  at 
all  times  to  be  in  the  top,  in  readiness  to  jump  aloft  and 
make  or  take  in  sail.  In  this  duty,  the  quarter  watches 
take  turns.  In  evolutions  requiring  "  all  hands,"  every 
man,  idlers,  marines  and  all,  has  his  particular  station 
assigned  him,  where,  and  nowhere  else,  he  is  expected  to 
act.  Kepeated  musterings  and  drillings  serve  to  make 
even  the  most  thickheaded  understand  thoroughly  the 
duties  required  of  them,  and  produce  that  perfection  of 
dis3ipline  by  which  so  large  a  bo  ly  of  men,  having  such 
various  duties  to  perform,  are  moved  with  a  celerity  and 
precision  as  of  one  man. 

Next  comes  the  division  into  gun's  crews.  Our  vessel, 
although  rated  only  as  a  seventy-four,  had  one  hundred 
guns  mounted,  making  a  broadside  of  fifty  guns.  These 
guns  are  numbered,  beginning  at  the  foremost  one  on  the 
lower  deck,  and  counting  the  two  opposite  as  only  one. 
Thus,  with  us  they  ranged  from  gun  number  one  on  the 
lower  gun  deck,  to  gun  number  fifty,  in  the  commodore's 
cabin.  A  certain  number  of  guns  are  included  in  a 
"  division,"  which  is  under  the  command  of  a  lieutenant, 
assisted  by  midshipmen.  We  had  eight  divisions :  three 


T  II  E     G  U  N  S  .  £3 

on  the  lower  gun  deck,  three  on  the  main  gun  deck,  and 
two  on  the  spar  deck.  To  each  of  the  guns  is  assigned 
a  "  crew,"  sufficient,  if  necessary,  to  work  or  serve  both 
the  guns  included  under  one  number,  but  with  their  labor 
so  divided  as  to  very  much  assist  one  another,  while 
serving  only  one  side.  To  one  of  our  heavy  thirty-two  or 
eight  pounders,  were  alloted  one  captain,  one  second 
captain,  two  loaders,  (first  and  second,)  two  rammers  and 
spongers,  four  side  tackle  men,  five  train  tackle  men, 
and  a  powder  boy — in  all  sixteen.  The  carronades,  on 
the  upper  deck,  being  much  lighter  guns,  had  a  much 
smaller  crew — only  ten.  The  captains  have  the  general 
management  of  the  gun,  the  first  captain  taking  prece- 
dence, and,  if  both  sides  are  engaged,  remaining  with 
the  first  part,  on  the  starboard  side.  The  duties  of  the 
leaders,  rammers  and  spongers,  are  sufficiently  declared 
by  their  titles.  The  side-tackle  men  manage  the  tackles 
by  which  the  gun  is  run  out,  (after  it  is  loaded,)  and 
slewed,  or  turned  either  forward  or  aft  of  the  beam ;  and 
the  t  ain-tackle  men  work  the  tackles  by  which  the  gun 
i^  run  in,  and  also  assist  with  handspikes  in  elevating  or 
depressing  the  muzzle,  to  alter  the  range.  The  powder- 
boy  is  furnished  with  a  leathern  bucket,  having  a  tight 
fitting  lid;  in  this  bucket  he  carries  cartridges  from  the 
magazine  hatch  to  his  gun.  A  portion  of  the  topmen 
and  fi'ivastleraen  are  stationed  as  sail  trimmers;  and, 
aidnl  l.y  the  crews  of  the  spar  deck  guns,  make,  take  in. 
:md  trim  sails  during  action.  In  addition  to  the  duties 
above  specified,  each  individual  of  the  gun's  crew  is 
attached  to  one  of  three  divisions  of  boarders,  or  is  a 
pjkeman,  or  a  fireman,  and  when  in  time  of  battle  a 


o4  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE. 

signal  is  made,  by  a  peculiar  roll  of  the  drum,  or  by  a 
rattle,  or  by  ringing  the  bell,  promptly  moves  to  the  point 
where  his  services  are  just  then  re  juired. 

The  place  of  the  crew,  at  the  guns,  is  called  their 
quarters.  The  ceremony  of  assambling  at  the  guns,  and 
there  calling  the  roll,  which  takes  place  twice  a  day, 
morning  and  evening,  is  called  mustering  at  quarters. 
The  crew  is  thoroughly  exercised  at  the  guns  by  divisions, 
once  or  twice  every  week,  in  order  to  be  well  drilled  in 
all  the  movements  necessary  in  time  of  action.  And  in 
addition  to  this,  there  was,  on  board  our  ship,  a  weekly 
exercise,  continued  during  the  whole  cruise,  lasting  from 
nine  till  half-past  twelve  A.  M.,  called  "general  quarters," 
in  which  the  whole  ship  was  cleared  for  action,  the  powder 
magazine  opened,  and  all  preparations  made  for  a  real 
fight,  and  then  the  entire  range  of  maneuvers  gone 
through  with  which  are  needed  in  action. 

Besides  their  general  stations,  as  fore,  main,  and  raizzen- 
topmen,  etc.,  the  crew  have  especial  duties  assigned  them 
on  occasions  when  all  hands  are  called,  as,  in  getting 
under  weigh,  coming  to,  reefing  topsails,  tacking  ship, 
etc.  Every  individual  has,  on  these  occasions,  a  specific 
duty  to  perform,  beyond  which  he  does  not  concern 
himself.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  a  failure  on  the  part 
of  one  individual  to  perform  the  duty  assigned  him,  is 
liable  to  disconcert  the  whole  operation.  There  is, 
therefore,  a  responsibility  on  every  one.  And  thus,  in 
place  of  the  confusion  to  be  expected,  the  greatest 
possible  order,  efficiency,  and  harmony  of  action  prevail. 

The  marines  act  as  a  body  of  soldiers.  They  do  duty 
as  sentries  in  different  parts  of  the  vessel,  and  in  action 


THE     MARINES.  G?» 

are  the  principal  marksmen,  being  stationed  for  that 
purpose  in  various  parts  of  the  vessel,  alow  and  aloft. 
At  sea,  they  are  divided  into  watches,  and  do  duty  with 
the  afterguard.  Being  used  as  a  sort  of  armed  police 
over  the  sailors,  the  latter  cordially  hate  them,  and  often 
wreak  vengeance  upon  them  for  some  real  or  supposed 
oliense.  The  fact  is,  a  marine's  place  is  not  at  all  an 
enviable  one.  Compelled  to  live  with  and  labor  among 
the  crew,  it  is  yet  made  their  principal  duty  to  spy  out 
and  bring  to  punishment  all  offenders  against  the  laws  of 
the  vessel.  Thus  it  is  that  they  have  become  a  bye-word 
and  a  reproach.  The  name  of  soldier,  or  sojer,  as  it  is 
pronounced  by  your  real  tar,  is  the  most  stinging  epithet 
of  i  on  tempt  at  the  command  of  a  sailor.  There  is  an  old 
saying  "  a  messmate  before  a  shipmate,  a  shipmate  before 
a  stranger,  a  stranger  before  a  dog,  but  a  dog  before  a 
soldier."  which  expresses  fully  the  contempt  in  which 
they  arc  held. 

The  ship's  number  is  that  by  which  each  individual  is 

designated  on  the  purser's  books,  by  which  his  accounts 

are  made  out,  and  to  which  his  final  discharge  refers. 

The   crew  keep  all   their  clothing   in   painted    canvas 

and  the  ship's  number  of  the  owner  is  placed  upon 

•ue  of  these,  to  enable  him  to  identify  it.     So  also 

the  ship's  number  is  placed  upon  all  articles  of  clothing, 

for  a  similar  purpose.     Ship's  numbers  are  arranged  in 

the  order  in  which  the  men  were  originally  drafted  on 

board ;  while  hammock  numbers  are  arranged  in  regard 

to  the  different  parts  of  a  ship ;  number  one  being  the 

captain  of  the  forecastle's,   then  progressing  regularly 

5 


66  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

aft,  the  last  numbers  being  those  of  the  quarter  masters 
and  messenger  boys. 

With  this  somewhat  tedious,  but  nevertheless,  to  the 
landsman  reader,  necessary  setting  forth  of  the  general 
arrangement  and  internal  economy  of  our  ship,  which 
will  apply,  with  some  few  modifications,  to  all  vessels  of 
war,  we  will  proceed  en  our  "  cruise,"  as  the  voyage  cf  v 
man-of-war  is  called. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  first  Night  Watch  —  Inspecting  the  Boys  —  How  the  Com- 
mander cured  a  Lad  of  Chewing  Tobacco  —  A  grand  Row  in 
the  Boys'  Mess  —  Breaking  in  the  Green  Hands  — "  All 
Hands  "  to  Muster. 

BY  three  o'clock,  p.  M.,  "  six  bells  in  the  afternoon 
watch,"  land  was  fairly  out  of  sight,  and  the  ship  was 
making  a  nearly  south-east  course,  to  cross  the  Gulf 
Stream.  Next  day,  we  were  in  the  gulf,  as  it  is  famil- 
iarly called,  which  we  knew  by  the  warmer  temperature 
of  the  water,  the  clouded  sky,  and  the  vast  quantities  of 
gultweed,  with  which  the  water  was  covered  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach. 

Our  first  night  at  sea  passed  very  pleasantly.  I  was 
still  on  the  sick-list,  and  exempt  from  special  duty,  but 
determined  to  turn  out  with  my  watch.  Belonging  to 
the  starboard  watch,  our  turn  on  deck  was  from  twelve 
to  four.  At  eight,  the  first  watch  was  set,  and  1 
remained  upon  deck  long  enough  to  hear  the  men  answer 
to  their  names,  in  order  that  I  might  know  what  to  do 
niYM'lf,  at  twelve.  I  was  sleeping  soundly  in  my  swing- 
ing bed,  when  a  most  horrid  din  assailed  my  ears,  causing 
me  to  start  up  affrighted,  bringing  my  head  by  the 
in  >ti'>n  in  violent  contact  with  the  beam  above. 

"STARBOARD  WATCH,  AHOY !"  was  being   roared,  and 


68  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE'. 

re-roared  to  an  indefinite  extent  from  half  a  dozen  hoarse 
throats,  on  different  parts  of  the  main-deck,  and  followed 
up  by  emphatic  adjurations  to  "  turn  out,  there,"  "  rouse 
and  bit,"  "  show  a  leg — or  a  purser's  stocking,"  all  which 
meant,  I  found,  not  as  I  had  at  first  supposed,  that  the 
ship  was  on  fire,  or  sinking,  or  that  some  other  dire 
calamity  had  overtaken  us;  but  simply,  that  it  was 
twelve  o'clock,  and  our  immediate  presence  on  deck  was 
judged  highly  desirable. 

I  jumped  out,  took  my  trowsers,  shoes,  and  hat  out  of 
the  head  of  my  hammock,  where  they  had  served  as  a 
pillow  while  sleeping,  and  put  them  on,  and  staggered 
upon  deck.  It  was  a  fine,  starlight  night,  with  a  good 
topgallant  breeze  blowing.  There  was  a  tolerably  heavy 
sea  on,  and  the  r oaring  of  the  wind  through  the  rigging, 
and  the  pitching  of  the  vessel  made  me  think  that  there 
must  be  a  storm  —  an  impression  fiom  which  I  was  soon 
relieved,  however.  I  found  the  watch  about  to  go  below 
crowding  up  under  lee  of  the  weather  bulwarks,  and 
wrapped  up  in  their  peajackets,  talking  and  singing  quite 
cheerfully  in  anticipation  of  the  rest  they  were  about  to 
enjoy,  for  the  next  four  hours.  Walking  forward,  I  heard 
sounds,  however,  which  convinced  me  that  all  were  not 
inspired  by  agreeable  feelings.  A  closer  inspection 
revealed  to  me  at  least  twenty  poor  fellows  leaning  over 
the  bows,  groaning  dolefully  as  they  cast  up  their 
accounts.  The  midshipman  who  mustered  our  watch 
found  that  sea-sickness  was  making  sad  inroads  upon  the 
waisters  and  afterguards  (who  are  mostly  landsmen), 
scarcely  a  third  of  them  being  present  to  answer  to  their 
names. 


MY      FIRST     NIGHT     WATCH.  09 

"  They  are  looking  over  the  bows,  trying  to  see  the 
bottom,"  said  one  of  the  non-seasick  ones. 

I  did  not  experience  any  discomfort  from  the  motion 
of  the  vessel,  and  was  able  to  hold  up  my  head  among 
the  proudest.  This  gained  me  great  credit  among  my 
new  messmates,  some  of  whom  had  hunted  me  up  to  take 
care  of  me,  expecting  to  find  me  "on  my  beam  ends."  I 
felt  quite  elated  at  my  fortunate  exemption,  and  took  it 
as  an  evidence  that  I  was  cut  out  for  a  sailor.  The  true 
reason,  however,  most  likely,  was  that  I  had  taken  so 
much  medicine,  and  so  very  little  of  any  thing  else  for 
the  preceding  month,  that  there  was  nothing  in  me  to  be 
affected  by  the  jolting — or,  as  the  captain  of  the  fore- 
castle gruffly  said : 

"  It  would  be  no  use  to  turn  that  fellow's  stomach,  for 
one  side  is  as  bad  at  the  other." 

As  the  ship  was  going  along  finely,  with  a  steady 
breeze,  there  was  nothing  to  do,  and  the  watch  soon  set- 
tled down  in  cozy  groups  about  deck,  some  to  doze  off, 
and  others  talking  and  singing.  I  walked,  or  rather 
stumbled  about,  for  I  had  not  yet  gained  mj  sea  legs, 
until  at  last  I  joined  a  group  of  foretopmen  assembled 
around  the  topsail  halyard-rack,  who  were  comparing 
opinions  on  the  ship,  her  officers  and  crew.  They  were 
all  old  salts,  and  I  approached  them  very  respectfully, 
and  listened  with  due  deference  to  the  words  of  wisdom 
to  which  they  gave  utterance.  I  had  not  stood  long, 
however,  before  a  rough  old  fellow  of  the  crowd,  gr;i 
me  by  the  arm,  said,  in  what  I  took  to  be  a  terribly 
cross  tone : 

"  Here,  boy ,    what   are  you  doing   here   among  the 


70  MAN-OF-WAR     LI  FK: 

foretoprnen  ?  Go  aft,  you  young  scoundrel,  where  you 
belong." 

A.S  I  looked  at  him,  to  see  if  he  was  in  earnest,  an- 
other said: 

"  Leave  him  alone,  Jack ;  it's  a  poor  little  fellow  that's 
been  sick.  We  took  him  into  our  mess  to  day.  He's  a 
civil  boy.  Let  him  stay." 

"  Well,"  returned  Jack,  *'  if  he  ain't  sassy.  But  mind 
me,  boy,"  turning  to  me,  with  a  look  which  terrified  me, 
41  i:'  ever  you  give  us  any  of  your  lip  we'll  kill  you." 

1  made  a  solemn  promise  never  to  interrupt  any  of 
the  in  when  they  were  yarning,  and  always  to  answer 
them  civilly,  and  was,  on  these  conditions,  admitted  to 
the  circle. 

After  canvassing  the  merits  of  the  ship  and  officers, 
they  fell  to  yarning  in  good  style,  and  I  became  a  de- 
lighted listener  to  various  tough  experiences  of  "last 
cruise."  Eight  bells  (four  o'clock)  came  around  in  a 
\vonderfully  short  time,  and  we  broke  up  and  retired  to 
our  hammocks — I  with  an  inward  conviction  that  "  keep- 
ing watcti"  was  rather  an  agreeable  occupation.  Seated 
on  de,-k,  in  the  half-light  afforded  by  the  Bright  stars, 
p  otected  by  the  high  bulwark  from  the  wind  which 
roared  over  our  heads,  among  groups  of  bearded,  roug1?!- 
looking  fellows,  recount  ing,  the  adventures  of  past  times, 
seemed  to  me  like  a  realization  of  some  of  the  many 
romances  with  which  I  had  so  often  been  enchanted.  I 
slept  soundly  until  seven  bells  (half  past  seven  o'clock), 
when  all  hands  were  called,  the  hammocks  lashed  up 
and  carried  on  deck,  and  at  eight  bells  the  crew  were 
piped  to  breakfast.  I  speedily  hunted  up  my  mess,  and 


MY      N  K  W      MESS     MATES.  71 

found  them  already  assembled  about  the  mess  cloth, 
spread  down  on  the  main-deck.  The  mess  cook  had 
gotten  us  our  allowance  of  coffee,  which,  with  biscuit  and 
ealt  pork,  constituted  our  breakfast.  As  I  came  up,  I 
heard  various  not  over-complimentary  remarks  passed 
upon  my  rather  slim  looks.  I  listened  in  prudent  silence, 
until  the  tears  started  into  my  eyes,  at  the  rather  rough 
jests  of  my  new  messmates.  To  these  brawny,  stout 
feltows,  a  puny  little  boy  as  I  was  then,  reduced  to  the 
last  degree  by  a  severe  sickness,  seemed  almost  an  object 
of  curiosity — and,  sailor-like,  they  did  not  hesitate  to 
give  expression  to  just  what  happened  to  come  into  thei  • 
minds.  I  had  been  told  that  boys  were  treated  ve*\y 
roughly  on  board  ship,  and  that  the  only  way  to  get 
along  comfortably  was  to  say  nothing,  but  l>ear  all  teasin  t 
good-naturedly — a  piece  of  advice  which  I  took  care  to 
follow  to  the  letter,  and  not  without  due  reward  for  m  / 
trials,  for  I  soon  got  the  name  of  being  a  "  quiet,  civil, 
boy,  willing,  and  not  sassy"  and  those  who  had  at  first 
" teased"  me  unmercifully,  were  soon  my  best  friends, 
and  ready  to  do  me  any  service. 

After  breakfast  was  over,  I  volunteered  to  assist  the 
cook  in  getting  his  niess  things  in  order — a  duty  which 
I  had  been  given  to  understand,  while  yet  on  board 
the  guardo,  generally  devolved  upon  the  boys.  This  ele- 
vated me  wonderfully  in  the  esteem  of  all,  and  I  heard 
one  fellow  remark,  in  a  very  complimentary  tone : 

44  If  he  does  look  like  a  skeleton,  he  seems  t  >  act  like 
a  live  joy ;"  at  which  speech,  I  need  not  say,  I  frit  duly 
encouraged. 

Boys  are  not  treated  with  much  kindness  on  board  ship, 
7 


72  MAN -OF -WAR   LIFE: 

and  particularly  on  board  a  man-of-war.  There  they  arc 
very  generally  disliked  by  the  seamen,  because  of  their 
sauciness,  and  their  unwillingness  to  perform  such  minor 
services  as  are  judged  properly  to  belong  to  them,  such  as 
weeping,  helping  the  mess  cooks  in  their  labors,  and  doing 
ittle  trifling  errands  aloft,  which  do  not  really  require 
the  strength  or  knowledge  of  a  man.  Few  of  the  officers 
trouble  themselves  to  see  that  the  boys  are  made  to  per- 
form such  duties,  and  the  boys  themselves  are  commonly 
ready  enough  to  refuse,  or  skulk  out  of  them.  The  sea- 
men feel  this  keenly,  and  will  not  permit  such  as  act 
in  this  manner  to  come  into  their  company.  And  so  it 
comes,  that,  in  the  beginning  of  a  cruise,  all  boys  are 
looked  down  upon,  and  the  really  willing  lad  must  bear 
patiently  many  slights,  and  labor  hard  to  establish  his 
character,  and  work  his  way  into  the  good  graces  of 
crusty  old  salts.  I  had  heard  somewhat  of  this  matter 
while  on  board  the  old  guardo,  in  Philadelphia,  and  had 
made  up  my  rnind  that  if  willingness  and  politeness 
would  do  anything,  I  would  stand  well  with  all  on 
board. 

On  the  second  day  out,  we  unbent  the  chain  cables  and 
stowed  the  anchors — a  sign  that  we  were  fairly  at  sea. 
Our  first  port  was  to  be  Eio  de  Janeiro,  and  our  course 
accordingly  soon  brought  us  into  fine  weather.  And  now 
commenced  the  regular  routine  of  sea  life :  breakfast  at 
eight,  quarters  at  nine,  dinner  at  twelve,  supper  at  five, 
quarters  at  six — these  were  the  landmarks  which  an- 
nounced the  passing  of  the  day, 

Order  is  the  first  great  principle  on  board  a  man-of 
war.  To  this  everything  else  must  bend,  and  from  it 


r  R  A  I  N  T  N  f!      T  II  E     C  R  E  W  .  73 

there  is  DO  appeal.  Month  after  month,  and  year  after 
year,  the  same  stroke  of  the  bell  ushers  in  the  same 
exercise  or  duty.  There  is  time  and  place  for  everything, 
and  so  complete  and  thoroughly  carried  out  is  the  one 
grand  principle,  that  one  is  able  to  find,  without  difficulty, 
the  smallest  object,  in  the  darkest  night.  This  strict 
order  is  necessary,  where  so  many  men  and  such  an 
almost  innumerable  variety  of  inanimate  objects  are 
crowded  together. 

The  first  two  or  three  weeks  out  were  devoted  to  muster- 
ing the  crew  in  their  various  stations,  in  order  to  familiar- 
ize each  individual  with  the  special  duty  assigned  him  on 
special  occasions.  Station  bills  were  placed  in  vaiious 
parts  of  the  vessel,  on  which,  opposite  to  every  hammo.k 
number,  was  set  forth  the  station  of  the  individual  who 
was  represented  by  that  number.  Any  one  found  out  of 
his  place,  or  ignorant  of  it,  was  punished  by  being  put 
upon  the  blacklist :  thus,  by  dint  of  continued  drilling, 
even  the  most  persistently  stupid  were  taught  their  places 
and  duties. 

Next  came  the  exercising  at  the  great  guns.  Taking 
first  one  gun's  crew  at  a  time,  the  lieutenants  of  divi- 
sions, aided  by  such  of  the  crew  as  were  old  hands, 
soon  succeeded  in  making  all  familiar  with  their  duties. 
At  quarters,  the  names  were  called  by  the  midshipmen, 
each  individual,  as  called,  repeating  his  various  duties  or 
sat  ions,  in  order  to  ensure  a  knowledge  of  them.  These 
exercises  occupied  a  goo  I  deal  of  time.  In  addition  to 
till-in,  all  hands  were  kept  busy  cleaning  up  and  orna- 
menting the  vessel.  The  decks  which,  during  the  labors 
of  fitting  out,  had  become  full  of  stains  of  tar,  grease 


74:  MAN-OP-WAR   LIFE: 

and  paint,  were  now  carefully  scraped.  The  guns,  which 
were  rough  and  rusty,  were  thoroughly  cleaned  and 
rubbed  bright  with  brick  and  canvas,  and  then  covered 
with  a  mixture  of  lampblack,  beeswax,  and  turpentine, 
which  keeps  out  the  rust,  and  makes  the  surface  smooth 
and  bright  as  a  looking-glass.  The  various  accouter 
rnents  of  the  guns,  as  rammers,  sponges,  priming-wires, 
monkey-tails,  caps,  and  cutlasses,  were  cleaned  and 
brightened.  Different  fancy  contrivances  for  adding  t.» 
the  neat  and  trim  appearance  of  the  top-hamper,  in  port, 
were  prepared.  And,  finally,  there  was  a  grand  overhau 
or  examination  of  clothing,  taking  up  nine  or  ten  days, 
while  running  down  the  north-east  trades. 

p]ach  man  and  boy  being  required  to  own  a  certain 
quantity  and  quality  of  clothing,  a  list  of  which  has 
been  already  given,  it  was  now  found  that  scarcely  a  thir J 
of  the  ship's  company  were  fully  supplied.  Large  draft; 
were,  therefore,  made  upon  the  purser's  stores.  Next 
came  an  order  that  every  article  of  clothing  should  have 
upon  it,  in  legible  letters  and  figures,  the  name  and 
number  of  the  owner ;  and  there  was  another  thorough 
examination  of  bags  and  hammocks,  to  see  that  this 
order  was  duly  carried  into  effect — all  delinquents  being 
punished  with  the  never-failing  blacklist.  Thus,  by  dint 
of  scraping,  scrubbing,  scouring  and  painting,  exercising, 
mustering,  and  examining,  the  vessel  and  crew  had 
assumed,  by  the  time  we  entered  the  port  o?  Eio,  a  very 
creditable  appearance. 

But  it  is  time  that  I  say  something  concerning  the 
manner  of  life  of  the  boys.  On  board  our  vessel,  there 
were  about  forty.  Of  these,  eight  were  stationed  in  each 


MUSTERING     THE     BOYS.  75 

top  (two  in  each  quarter- watch) ,  four  on  the  ."orecastlo, 
and  twelve  were  messenger  boys.  To  the  latter,  I  be- 
longed, during  the  first  part  0:'  the  cruise.  The  boys  aro 
under  the  especial  charge  o.'  the  master  a t-arms,  who  is 
responsible  to  the  first  lieutenant  for  their  cleanly  ap- 
pearance and  orderly  behavior.  They  hang  their  ham- 
mocks on  the  starboard  side  of  the  half-deck,  where  they 
arc  within  convenient  distance  of  the  master-a t-arms,  a 
part  of  whose  duty  it  is,  in  port,  to  see  them  all  in  theL 
hammocks  at  eight  o'clock,  and  to  make  them  quit  talk 
ing  at  nine.  They  are  mustered  every  morning,  at  seve  i 
o'clock,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  that  they  are  clean  an  I 
neat.  At  the  sound  of  a  bugle  call,  they  gather  on  ths 
larboard  side  of  the  half-deck,  where  they  form  in  line, 
each  one  having  his  trowsers  rolled  up  above  his  knees, 
his  sleeves  tucked  up  to  his  armpits,  his  feet  and  hea  1 
bare,  the  collar  of  his  frock  turned  back  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, and  his  hair  combed  back  of  his  ears.  Having 
formed  in  line,  "Jemmy  Legs,"  as  the  master-at-arms  is 
familiarly  called,  reads  over  the  muster-roll,  to  detect 
any  absentees,  and  next  proceeds  to  a  particular  inspec- 
tion, walking,  for  that  purpose,  first  down  the  front  of  the 
line,  returning  on  the  other  side,  rattan  in  hand,  ready 
for  immediate  use. 

'•  Hold  out  your  hands,  sir." 

"  You  did  not  wash  the  soap  off  the  back  of  youi 
neck." 

"  That  frock  is  scarcely  fit  to  muster  in." 

"  Your  feet  are  not  overly  clean  ;  and,  here — hold  up 
your  arm — now,  take  that,  and  that,  and  that,"  hitting 
a  poor  fellow  several  thwacks  ;  "  now,  do  you  take  soap 


76  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

and  sand,  and  scour  your  elbows;  and  don't  show  yjui 
self  here,  all  covered  up  with  dirt." 

With  such  critical  observations  and  remarks  upon  the 
general  appearance  of  his  squad,  Jemmy  Legs  reviews 
them,  and  after  having  them  arranged  to  his  satisfac- 
tion, reports  them  to  the  commander,  as  ready  for  inspec- 
tion. There  was  one  spe.ies  of  uncleanliness  over  which 
our  commander  reserved  to  himself  exclusive  jurisdiction, 
and  with  which,  therefore,  the  master-at  arms  never  in- 
terfered. This  was  toba:  co-chewing.  Many  of  our  boys, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  cruise,  labored  under  the  halluci- 
nation already  mentioned,  as  common  to  tyros  in  sailor 
craft,  that  to  be  a  true  sailor,  one  must  chew  tobacco. 
The  commander,  unfortunately,  did  not  share  in  this 
belief,  but  was,  on  the  contrary,  a  zealous  upholder  of 
the  opposite  doctrine,  and  considered  no  trouble  too  great, 
in  his  efforts  to  make  converts  among  the  boys.  Thus, 
he  would  come  along  in  the  morning,  to  inspect  us,  and 
while  walking  down  the  row,  apparently  looking  very 
steadily  at  the  individuals  immediately  before  him.  would 
catch  sight  of  a  boy  at  the  other  end  of  the  line  slyly 
drawing  his  hand  across  his  face,  or  emptying  his  mouth 
of  a  quantity  of  saliva.  Nothing  would  be  said,  until 
he  arrived  opposite  the  devoted  tobacco-chewer,  when : 

"  Master-at-arms,  come  this  way — smell  this  boy's 
breath."  To  the  boy: 

"  Boy,  breathe  in  his  face."  This  done,  and  the  look 
of  disgust  on  poor  Jemmy  Legs'  countenance  giving  forth 
unmistakable  evidence  of  the  presence  of  the  forbidden 
w.ed,  the  commander  would  say,  very  good-naturedly  • 


CURING     A     LAD     OF     CIIE\VING     TOBACCO.    77 

"  Master-at-arms,  go  and  get  some  sand  and  soap,  and 
canvas."  And  then  to  the  boy  : 

"  Now,  my  lad,  you  ought  to  know,  foi-  I  have  told  you 
all,  that  tobacco  is  a  very  injurious  thing,  and  that  I, 
who  have  the  care  of  your  welfare,  would  be  doing  you  a 
e  .nous  wrong  to  permit  you  to  acquire  so  filthy  a  habit 
as  chewing  it.  You  may  think  it  an  evidence  of  sailor- 
sh'p,  that  you  chew  your  cud,  but  if  you  know  anything 
of  natural  history,  you  are  aware  that  it  would  be  just 
as  good  a  proof  of  your  being  a  calf.  I,  who  am  an  old 
sailor,  and  know  much  more  about  such  matters  than 
any  of  you,  will  tell  you  that  tobacco  chewing  will  never 
make  of  any  one  a  sai-lor ;  and,  as  you  spit  about  decks,  and 
are  filthy  in  other  ways,  you  are  an  annoyance  and  an 
object  of  disgust  to  your  fellows,  which  I  can  not  endure. 
J)o  you  think  you  could  break  yourself  of  the  habit'?" 
T  >  this  the  boy  would  answer  very  demurely : 

••  Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it.  I  hope  1  shall 
n  ;vcr  catch  you  with  a  quid  in  your  cheek  again,  and  in 
order  that  you  may  begin  your  reformation  with  a  clean 
mouth,  the  master-at-arms  will  now  proceed  to  purify  it 
by  means  of  this  s;>ap  and  sanJ,  and  a  piece  of  canvas." 

"  Master-at-arms."  This  (unctiouary  approaches  with 
tin-  required  articles. 

"  Now,  my  lad,  that  you  may  be  enabled  to  make  a 
fresh  start  in  your  reformation,  we  will  see  your  mouth 
Scrubbed  clean  Mast<T-at-arms,  take  his  head  upon 
your  lap,  and  commence  operations." 

Thereupon,  the  unwilling  \u-tim  to  another  man's 
belief,  has  his  mouth  half  filled  with  a  lather  o'  soapsuds 


78     -  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

mixed  with  sand,  and  his  lips  and  teeth  scoured  till 
bleed  again,  the  olfactory  test  being  applied  from  time  to 
time  to  ascertain  if  all  the  defilement  is  removed ;  and 
after  half  choking  him,  a-nd  giving  him  ample  cause  to 
remember  the  commander's  injunctions,  he  is  released. 
All  this  is  transacted  in  presence  of  the  whole  assemblage 
of  boys,  and  generally  an  additional  audience  of  grinning 
tars,  who  are  delighted  witnesses  to  the  comman-der's 
'•  doctoring  one  of  the  boys."  Two  or  three  punishments 
of  this  kind,  were  quite  sufficient  to  cure  all  the  tobacco- 
chewers. 

We  messenger  boys  had  a  disagreeable  time  of  it. 
during  the  first  passage.  AVhere  there  are  so  many  boys 
together,  the.e  will  be  much  quarreling  and  fighting; 
and,  while  we  were  yet  comparatively  strangers  to  one 
another,  the  larger  boys  held  an  uninterrupted  and  most 
tyrannical  sway  over  the  small-fry.  There  were  twelve 
messenger  boys,  as  before  said,  six  in  each  watch.  It 
was  not  necessary,  however,  that  more  than  one  should  be 
on  look-out  at  a  time,  and  the  balance  of  the  watch  on 
deck,  were  allowed  to  roam  about  the  decks,  or  do  what- 
ever they  pleased,  talk,  sew,  or  braid  sinnet  We  had 
arranged  that  each  one  should  stand  an  hour  of  special 
watch,  thus  taking  turns  all  round ;  but  some  of  the  boys 
would  not  keep  their  hour,  arid  when  "  messenger  boys !" 
was  called,  and  none  on  hand,  the  boatswain's  mate  was 
generally  sent  around  with  a  rope's  end,  to  hunt  us  all 
up.  When  all  assembled,  we  would  receive  a  lecture, 
and  a  threat  of  a  severe  thrashing,  if  we  were  not  on 
hand  when  called.  For  our  regulations  were  oiily  among 
ourselves.  Then  one  or  two  of  the  larger  boys  delighted 


THE     BOYS?     QUARREL.  79 

to  bully  the  others  into  standing  their  watch  for  them,  by 
threatening  them  with  a  private  thrashing  if  they  did 
not.  One  of  our  number,  whose  watch  it  happened  to  be, 
would  coolly  walk  off  and  leave  the  rest  of  the  boys  to 
answer  for  him,  at  the  lisk  of  getting  all  into  trouble  if 
they  did  not.  It  must  be  mentioned  here  that  in  no  case, 
however  great  the  injustice  perpetrated  or  suffered,  is  any 
appeal  to  the  authorities  admitted.  The  boy  (or  man) 
who  is  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  threatened  to  "report'7 
another,  is  handled  without  mercy;  and  he  who  does 
report,  even  his  worst  enemy,  is  considered  on  a  par  with 
a  thief,  and  looked  down  upon  with  contempt,  even  by 
those  who  were  before  his  best  friends.  On  account  of 
my  long  sickness  and  consequent  weakness,  I  was,  for 
some  time,  overlooked  by  our  bullies,  as  too  contemptible 
an  object  for  them  to  exercise  their  overbearing  propensi- 
ties on.  But  I  soon  bega<n  to  feel  the  burden  of  their 
tyranny,  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  little  1  oys,  and 
we  set  about  devising  means  for  relief.  We  found  that 
the  only  way  would  be  to  unite,  and  unitedly  oppose  their 
infractions  on  our  rights,  and  by  presenting  a  firm  front, 
intimidate  them  into  doing  us  justice.  And  by  following 
this  plan,  we  soon  established  peace  and  order. 

But  the  messenger-boys  had  peaceable  and  pleasant 
times  compared  to  the  experiences  of  two  messes  whirli 
were  formed  entirely  of  boys.  A  mess  is  composed  of 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  individuals.  The  crew  is  divided 
into  messes  to  facilitate  the  serving  out  of  provisions, 
and  the  keeping  clean  mess-things,  as,  pots,  pans,  and 
spoons.  To  each  mess  there  is  a  mrss-rfmk.  wh«>  has 
•  <u  all  the  mi\-s-property,  and  receives  tin  i, 


80  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

from  the  purser's  steward,  takes  them  to  the  ship's  cock, 
and  again  gets  the  victuals  when  they  are  cooked.  Every 
member  of  the  mess  takes  his  turn,  for  a  week,  at  thia 
duty,  which  is  on  many  accounts  a  very  disagreeable  one. 
It  is  one  of  the  few  privileges  left  to  the  crew  of  a  man  - 
of-war,  that  messes  shall  be  composed  of  individuals 
voluntarily  associating  themselves  together.  No  one  is 
forced  on  a  mess  not  willing  to  receive  him,  and  changing 
messes  is  allowed  every  three  months.  Thus  it  came, 
that,  in  the  beginning,  the  men  being  unwilling  to  take 
the  boys  among  them,  (with  a  few  exceptions,  among 
whom,  as  before  mentioned,  I  fortunately  found  myself,) 
the  boys  were  necessarily  formed  into  two  separate 
messes.  But  here  they  had  a  most  miserable  time  of  it. 
Disputes  and  quarrels,  which  were  commenced  on  deck, 
were  settled  here.  Quarreling  and  fighting  took  up  the 
time  allotted  to  meals.  The  strongest  or  most  cunning 
secured  the  eatables  for  themselves,  and  the  constant 
interference  of  Jemmy  Legs  was  necessary,  to  keep  the 
little  fellows  from  being  actually  starved  out  by  the  larger 
ones.  They  practiced  all  kinds  of  dirty  tricks  upon  one 
another,  as,  spitting  in  a  fellow's  pan,  if  he  had  secured 
a  choice  morsel,  or  capsizing  hot  tea  or  coffee  over  one 
another,  or  on  bean-soup  days,  throwing  the  hot  soup  i  i 
each  other's  faces.  The  poor  fellow  who  was  detained 
on  deck  while  the  others  ate,  generally  found  naught,  on 
his  descent  to  the  mess  place,  but  "  a  beggarly  account 
of  empty"  dishes,  and  was  obliged  to  rely  upon  the 
kindness  of  neighboring  cooks,  for  his  dinner  or  breakfast. 
Then,  their  mess  things  were  always  dirty,  because  no 
boy  would  be  cook  more  than  a  day  at  a  time,  and 


\      V  K  E  t      F  1  C!  II  T  .  81 

indeed,  as  a  rule,  they  all  ran  away  as  soon  as  they  got 
their  meals  eaten  up,  leaving  the  last  one  to  take  care 
of  the  dishes.  But  the  grand  climax  of  their  ill-beha- 
vior, the  circumstance  which  led  to  their  being  disbanded, 
to  the  great  relief  of  all  hands  concerned,  was  a  general 
set-to  between  the  two  messes,  one  day — an  affair  such 
as  they  would  call  a  "  free  fight,"  in  Kentucky — in  which, 
it  being  bean-soup  day,  one  of  the  boys,  being  hard 
pressed  in  the  melee,  dexterously  turned  a  wooden  kid  or 
small  tub  full  of  hot  soup  over  his  assailant's  head,  scald- 
ing him  severely,  and  nearly  blinding  him.  This  affair 
was  reported  to  the  commander,  who  had  both  of  the 
messes  thoroughly  rope's- ended,  and  then  divided  the 
boys  among  the  men's  messes,  where  they  did  not  dare  to 
kick  up  any  shindies.  I  had  abundant  cause  to  con- 
gratulate myself  on  having  been  from  the  first  taken  into 
a  mess  of  men,  for  a  quiet  and  weakly  boy,  like  myself, 
would  have  fared  but  poorly  in  a  crowd,  where  every  bite 
of  victuals  was  obtained  by  force  of  arms — and  fists — 
and  the  stronger  united  to  bully  the  weaker,  and  thrash 
them  in  the  bargain  if  they  complained. 

The  first  Sunday  out,  was  the  occasion  of  a  general 
muster  round  the  capstan,  which  is,  withe ut  exception, 
the  most  disagreeable  incident  in  a  man-of-war  life.  At 
breakfast  that  morning,  the  word  was  given  out  by  the 
boatswain's  mates  and  master-at-arms : 

"  Do  you  hear  there,  fore  and  aft !  clean  yourselves ! 
in  white  frocks!  blue  jackets  and  trowsers!  black  hats 
and  shoes! — to  muster !" 

A  general  groan  succeeded  this  announcement,  and  all 
those  who  were  familiar  with  musterings,  looked  blank 
6 


82  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

enough.  There  was  no  help  for  it,  however,  and  forth- 
with commenced  a  general  ransacking  of  clothes-bags,  for 
mustering  clothes,  great  anxiety  being  displayed  to  make 
a  good  appearance. 

"Tie  my  neckerchief  for  me;"  "Turn  down  my 
collar ;"  "  Help  me  on  with  my  jacket ;"  *'  How  does  my 
hat  look ?"  "Do  you  think  my  shoes  will  pass  muster ?" 
and  an  infinity  of  similar  requests  and  questions,  an- 
nounced that  this  was  an  occasion  of  no  small  impor- 
tance. At  nine,  the  drum  beat  to  quarters,  where  we 
passed  a  preliminary  muster.  At  ten,  preluded  by  a 
deafening  blast  from  all  the  "  calls "  of  all  the  boat- 
swains' mates,  came  the  summons  of, 

"  All  hands  to  muster !"  followed  up  with,  "  String 
along  aft,  there — hurry  up,  hurry  up — lay  aft  on  the 
quarter-deck,  everybody  !" 

There  was  a  manifest  disposition  on  the  pail  of  the 
older  hands  to  keep  in  the  background,  which  called 
forth  from  the  commander  an  order  for, 

•'  Seamen  and  ordinary  seamen,  in  front." 

Being  anxious  to  see  the  entire  performance,  which 
was  looked  to  with  so  much  dread  by  all  who  knew  any- 
thing of  it,  I  secured  a  place  in  the  crowd  where  I  could 
see,  without  at  the  same  time  exposing  myself  to  the 
scrutiny  of  the  officers,  for  my  appearance,  in  common 
with  that  of  all  the  green  hands,  was  rather  of  the  shab- 
biest— thanks  to  the  Jew  fitters-out,  into  whose  clutches 
we  had  fallen  after  shipping.  In  about  fifteen  minutes, ; 
every  soul  in  the  ship,  except  those  sick  persons  who  were 
not  able  to  walk,  was  gathered  on  deck.  And  now,  I  per- 
ceived the  reason  why  "general  muster"  is  considered 


ALL     HANDS     TO     MUSTER.  83 

so  disagreeable  an  affair.  The  officers  of  the  vessel 
were  ranged  in  two  rows  along  the  weather  side  of  the 
quarter-deck,  the  captain  and  commander  standing,  one 
on  eajh  side  of  the  capstan,  with  pen  il  and  paper  in 
hand,  ready  to  note  down  any  unlucky  defi  aencies  in  the 
personal  appearance  of  the  crew.  The  boatswain  brought 
up  the  rear  of  the  officers,  and  after  him  stood  the  petty 
officers  also  ranged  in  order.  Every  individual  of  the 
crew  was  obliged  to  walk  through  this  lane  of  scrutiniz- 
ing faces.  Said  an  old  tar,  who  certainly  l.ad  nothing  to 
fear  on  the  score  of  his  personal  appearance : 

"  I  would  rather  take  a  dozen  with  the  cats  at  any 
time,  than  to  walk  round  that  capstan." 

When  all  was  quiet,  the  captain's  clerk  stepped  to  the 
capstan,  and,  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice,  read  the  "  articles 
of  war,''  the  rules  and  regulations  by  which  the  ship's 
company,  officers  as  well  as  men,  is  supposed  to  be  gov- 
erned, aud  is  governed  to  a  certain  extent.  After  this  was 
over,  came  a  silence  of  a  few  moments,  during  which  one 
might  really  have  heard  a  pin  drop.  Then  the  purser's 
clerk  stepped  up  to  the  capstan,  and  slowly  called  the 
roll.  As  each  individual's  name  was  called,  he  answered, 
"  Here,  sir/'  and,  hat  in  hand,  walked  round  and  down  the 
long  lane  or  gangway,  forward,  narrowly  scrutinized  by 
every  one  as  he  passed.  If  anything  will  try  nerves,  it 
is  such  a  task  as  this.  I  never  knew  one,  even  to  the 
oldest  man-of-war's  man,  who  had  mustered  round  the 
hundreds  of  times,  that  could  hear  all  hands 
to  muster  without  a  perceptible  shudder.  To  feel 
that  hundreds  of  eyes  are  looking  at  you,  noting  every 
peculiarity  of  form  and  feature,  dress,  walk,  and  carriage ; 


84  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

to  be  conscious  tliat  the  least  impropriety  of  action,  or 
dress,  will  elicit  a  grin  from  hundreds  of  faces  ;  to  know, 
in  addition,  that  any  real  short  coming  is  noted  down  by 
the  captain  and  commander,  to  be  made  the  subject  of 
after  reproof,  and  that  a  speck  of  dirt,  a  badly  arranged 
collar,  an  ill-fitting  jacket  or  trowsers,  or  an  improper 
walk,  may  call  forth  instant  and  public  rebuke,  is  suffi- 
cient to  try  the  stoutest  nerves.  It  was  curious  to  see 
the  actions  of  different  individuals,  as  they  moved  around : 
some,  mostly  the  old  hands,  walked  with  head  erect, 
knowingly  glancing  about  out  of  the  corners  of  their 
eyes,  and  with  an  easy,  rolling  gait,  which  we  green- 
horns had  as  yet  failed  to  acquire.  They  had  grown 
callous.  Some,  again  —  these  were  merchant  sailors, 
who  wer3  making  their  first  cruise  in  the  navy  — 
made  an  awkward  shuffle  of  getting  round.  The  down 
look  on  their  honest,  weather-beaten  countenances  told 
plainly  of  their  keen  sense  of  the  degradation  involved 
in  such  an  exhibition  of  themselves.  Others  there  were, 
raw,  meanly-clad  fellows,  who  trotted  around,  with  heads 
down  and  eyes  straight  ahead,  and  no  particular  expres- 
sion, except  that  of  a  strong  desire  to  get  out  of  sight. 
These  were  the  landsmen,  who  carried  about  them  still 
the  manners  and  looks  of  the  shore,  and  the  clothing  of 
the  thieving  slopsellers — as  the  boatswain  said,  "they 
had  yet  the  hay-seed  sticking  to  their  collars."  There  is 
a  distinct  manner,  an  easy,  graceful  carriage  of  the 
body,  a  rakish  set  of  the  hat,  a  knowing  look  out  of  the 
corner  of  the  eye,  peculiar  to  the  sailor,  but  more  espe 
cially  to  the  man-of-war's  man,  which  can  not  be  counter 
feited,  and  is  not  to  be  acquired,  without  long  experience, 


ALL      HANDS     T  0      MUSTER.  85 

except  by  the  boys,  whose  greatest  delight  is  to  get  the 
air,  walk,  and  slang  talk  of  the  old  salt. 

At  this  muster,  most  of  the  outfitter's  clothing  was 
condemned,  and  orders  given  to  such  as  mustered  therein, 
to  furnish  themselves  with  better  from  the  purser's  stores. 
1  was  included  in  the  list,  and  found  that  of  the  supply 
for  which  twenty-four  dollars  had  been  charged,  in  Phila- 
delphia, I  could  not  use  a  single  article.  In  common 
with  nearly  all  our  draft,  I  received  an  entire  new  outfit, 
which  made  way  with  about  six  months'  pay,  thus  find- 
ing myself,  when  not  yet  three  months  in  the  navy, 
indebted  to  the  amount  of  nine  months'  salary. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EVEKY  man  his  own  Washerwoman  —  A  word  concerning  Thiev- 
ing on  Board  Ship  —  The  Northeast  Trades  —  Sailors  turn 
Tailors  —  The  Doldrums  —  Chasing  the  Wind. 

THAT  Sunday  evening,  at  supper-time,  word  was  passed 
that  the  starboard  watch  would  wash  clothes  next  morning. 
I  had  seen,  some  days  before,  a  number  of  lines  strung 
between  the  main  and  rnizzen  rigging,  which,  I  had  been 
informed,  were  clothes-lines ;  but  they  looked  so  little  like 
my  mother's  clothes-lines  at  home,  that  I  had  thought 
my  informant  was  only  joking.,  It  had  not  occurred  to 
me  before  to  enquire  as  to  who  were  to  act  the  part  of 
washerwomen  to  the  crew  of  our  vessel.  This  office,  I 
now  found,  every  one  was  expected  to  perform  for  himself. 

"  But,"  said  I,  to  one  of  my  messmates,  "  I  don't 
know  how  to  wash." 

"  Oh  !  well,  you'll  learn  how  by  the  time  you've  been 
on  the  black-list  a  couple  of  times,  for  not  getting  your 
white  frocks  or  trowsers  sufficiently  clean." 

Soap,  (a  peculiar  kind,  made  for  the  navy,  and  very 
strongly  impregnated  with  lime,  to  overcome  the  hardness 
of  the  salt  water,)  had  been  served  out  before  this,  to  all 
that  wanted  it.  I  took  out  of  my  bag  a  lump  of  soap,  and 
a  white  frock,  a  pair  of  trowsers,  and  a  blue  shirt,  which 
I  found  needed  washing.  Rolling  all  up  together,  T 


W  A  8  II  I  N  G     C  L  0  T  II  E  8  .  87 

placed  them  carefully  under  a  gun,  until  the  morrow. 
1  Hiring  our  first  watch.  I  noticed  a  good  many  of  the 
older  sailors  busily  employed  washing,  and  got  one  of 
them  to  show  me  how  the  process  was  to  be  conducted. 
There  are,  of  course,  no  washboards,  or  other  labor-saving 
machines  used.  A  bucket  of  clean  salt  water,  a  lump 
of  soap,  and  plenty  of  hard  rubbing,  are  the  only  means 
used  for  the  renovation  of  a  sailor's  soiled  linen.  I  care- 
fully watched  the  whole  process  of  washing,  rinsing, 
wringing  out,  and  turning  inside-out,  and  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  hard  work  enough. 

After  my  friend  had  gotten  through  with  his  half-dozen 
pieces,  he  said : 

"  Now,  my  boy,  have  you  got  any  dirty  clothes  ?" 
I  answered  in  the  affirmative,  when  he  said : 
"  Well,  there  will  be  a  great  crowd  washing  to-morrow 
morning,  and  you'll  not  get  a  bucket,  nor  a  place  on  the 
lines  for  your  clothes  if  you  wait  till  then.    Go  and  bring 
here  your  pieces,  and  I  will  sea  that  you  wash  tnem 
properly,  and  you  may  use  this  bucket." 

I  was  loth  to  put  my  hands  and  arms  into  the  cold 
water,  on  rather  a  cool  night,  but  thought  best  ,o  profit 
by  his  advice.  I  rubbed  at  my  two  pieces  the  balance 
of  our  watch,  about  two  hours,  and  then  they  were 
'  declared  to  be  not  over  clean,  which  the  next  day  proved. 
After  turning  them,  to  keep  any  possible  specks  of  dirt 
from  the  outside,  I  was  instructed  to  roll  up  the  two 
pieces  together,  and  vplace  them  in  the  head  of  my 
hammock  until  next  morning.  At  four  o'clock,  it  was 
again  our  watch  upon  deck,  and  as  soon  as  the  watch  was 
musteivl.  began  the  grand  work  of  washing.  The  whole 


88  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

deck  was  speedily  crowded  with  people,  some  rubbing, 
some  scrubbing  their  clothes  with  small  scrubbing-brushes, 
a  process  which  much  facilitates  the  getting  them  clean, 
but  also  wears  them  out  very  fast.  I  found  my  friend's 
prophecy  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  Not  half  of  those  desiring 
to  wash  were  able  to  obtain  buckets,  and  of  course  many 
were  obliged  to  wait,  while  many  others  had  to  do  without 
altogether.  And  when  the  lines  were  lowered,  we  who 
had  washed  the  night  before,  were  able  to  pick  out  the 
best  places,  (the  top  lines,)  and  those  who  came  last  had 
to  hang  their  clothes  in  the  ii/ging,  where  they  were 
pretty  well  daubed  over  with  tar  before  they  got  dry,  for 
which  misfortune,  their  owners  were  likely  to  be  black- 
listed on  the  first  occasion.  There  are  no  special  conve- 
niences provided  by  the  ship  for  washing.  The  buckets 
used  are  those  kept  for  washing  decks,  and  the  water 
is  drawn  up  from  alongside,  by  the  aid  of  small  lines. 
The  clothes-lines  furnished,  are  about  sufficient  for  half 
the  clothes  commonly  washed.  Notwithstanding  this, 
however,  everybody  is  expested  to  appear  perfectly  clean, 
and  no  excuses  whatever  are  taken  ibr  a  soiled  fiock  or 
trowsers.  I  saw  clearly  therefore  that  it  would  not  do 
t:  In.  late  or  slow,  and  profiting  by  the  experience  of 
others  on  the  first  morning,  made  up  my  mind  never  to 
wait,  but  to  wash  always  among  the  first.  But,  it  will 
be  said,  somebody  must  be  last :  true  enough,  some  there 
are,  who,  either  through  indoleu  e  or  carel-ssncss  are 
always  late,  at  this  and  everything  else.  Such  lead  a 
miserable  lifc  on  board  a  man-of-war.  They  are  despis ..•<] 
by  their  smarter  shipmates,  end  '  worked  up"  by  the 
officers.  These  are  perpetual  members  of  the  bla^k-list 


THE     CLOTHES-LINES.  89 

Being  dirty  themselves,  they  arc  obliged  to  do  all  the 
dirty  work  ;  and  then  even,  are  expected  to  make  a 
respectable  appearance.  I  was  puzzled  to  know  how  the 
clothes  were  to  be  put  upon  the  lines  in  su:h  manner  ad 
that  they  would  not  be  blown  off  by  the  wind.  Some  of 
the  green  hands  I  heard  enquiring  where  they  were  to 
obtain  clothes-pins,  and  as  they  were  laughed  at  for  their 
enquiry,  I  determined  to  hold  my  tongue  and  wat.h  the 
rest.  Accordingly,  when  I  went  to  the  linos  with  my 
bundle  of  wash-clothes,  I  found  that  every  pie.e  was  tied 
up  by  the  corners  with  two  little  strings,  or  stops  as  they 
are  called.  One  of  the  quarter  masters,  seeing  me 
without  any  stops,  gave  me  some  rope  yarns,  and  showed 
me  the  peculiar  hitch  »by  which  they  are  stopped,  or 
fastened  to  the  clothes,  and  then  to  the  lines,  so  as  to  be 
easily  untied.  To  some  of  the  greener  of  the  greenhorns, 
the  possibility  of  their  clothes  being  blown  away,  had 
evidently  not  occurred  at  all,  as  they  merely  laid  them 
over  the  lines,  as,  perhaps,  they  had  seen  their  mothers 
or  sisters  doing  at  home.  One  man,  not  knowing  how  the 
lines  were  to  be  raised  off  the  deck,  was  heard  enquiring 
of  the  boatswain's  mate,  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the 
"  clothes-props,"  an  evidence  of  verdancy  which  raised  a 
shout  of  laughter  at  his  expense.  The  lines  are  'rove 
through  little  bull's  eyes  which  are  fastened  to  the  rigging 
for  that  purpose,  and  when  a  line  is  full,  it  is  hauled  out 
tight,  by  men  at  each  end,  and  made  fast  Thus  a  tier 
of  lines  rises  one  above  the  other,  in  regular  suciv 
Tw  hours,  from  four  to  six,  were  allowed  for  washing 
clothes.  th.-n  •  turn  to,  and  wash  down  the  decks,"  pro- 
claimed by  the  boatswain's  mate,  announced  that  the 


/)0  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

time  had  expired,  and  the  operation  of  scrubbing  decks 
was  immediately  commenced.  Having  washed  my  clothes 
the  night  before,  1  had  time  to  look  about  among  the 
washers  of  the  morning,  to  notice  the  difficulties  under 
which  some  of  them  labored,  and  profited  by  the  knowl- 
edge of  others,  and  was  thus,  to  some  extent,  prepared  by 
the  next  wash-clothes  morning,  to  get  through  my  wash- 
ing creditably. 

The  clothes  were  allowed  to  hang  out  until  four  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  when  they  were  "  piped  down ;"  that  is,  all  the 
watch  being  assembkd  at  the  call  of  the  boatswain's 
mates,  the  lines  were  lowered,  at  a  given  word,  and  every 
one  caught  his  clothes  as  they  came  down,  thus  keeping 
them  off  the  deck.  But  now  came  the  tug.  Some  had 
forgotten  where  their  pieces  hung,  and  others  had  never 
been  able  to  identify  them,  upon  the  lines.  Such  were 
seeking  about,  first  on  one  line,  then  on  another,  "  in  a 
peck  of  trouble."  Those  who  had  simply  laid  thur 
pieces  upon  the  lines,  without  fastening,  found,  to  their 
surprise,  that  they  had  been  paying  an  unwilling  tribute 
to  Neptune.  Some,  who  had  not  their  names  upon  their 
clothes,  were  unable  to  identify  their  property.  And 
others,  again,  taking  advantage  of  the  crowd,  had,  doubt- 
less, made  the  property  of  strangers  their  own,  for  seve- 
ral pieces  which  were  seen  on  the  lines  before  they  were 
lowered,  became  invisible  to  their  owners,  when  they  once 
reached  the  deck. 

A  word  here  about  thieving.  In  the  backwoods  of 
Arkansas  and  Missouri,  horse-stealing  used  to  be  ac- 
counted, by  the  great  public  of  those  localities,  a  crime 
far  exceeding  any  in  atrocity  common  robbery  or  burglary, 


A      WORD      ABOUT     THIEVING.  91 

and  even  deserving  of  more  immediate  and  stringent  pun- 
ishment than  that  of  murder.  This  arose,  doubtless,  from 
tlui  fact,  that  while  one  could  protect  himself,  or  his  house, 
or  his  goods,  to  a  certain  extent,  from  the  hands  of  the 
marauder,  a  horse-thiei'  took  the  community  at  vantage, 
assailed  them  in  their  most  indefensible  point.  So  on 
board  ship,  where,  owing  to  the  great  number  of  men 
crowded  together,  it  is  impossible  to  guard  one's  property 
against-theft,  there  is  a  public  sentiment,  which  makes  theft 
the  worst  of  crimes,  and  subjects  the  thief  to  a  species  of 
pillory,  beside  the  punishment  meted  out  at  the  gangway, 
which  is  as  intolerable  as  anything  can  well  be.  Theft  was 
of  seldom  occurrence  on  board  our  ship,  and  there  was  but 
one  individual  caught  flagrante  delicto,  during  the  whole 
cruise  of  three  years.  He  was  found  with  several  pieces 
of  clothing  in  his  clothes-bag,  belonging  to  others. 
The  crime  was  plainly  and  patLntly  proven  on  him;  and 
then  came  the  punishment :  first,  confinement  in  the 
brig,  in  irons,  for  two  weeks;  then  a  dozen  with  the 
"  thieves  cat,"  an  instrument  made  of  heavier  line  than 
the  common  "  cat,"  and  soaked  in  stiff  brine  for  a  week 
before  it  is  used,  which  makes  each  strand  hard  and  stiff 
as  a  piece  of  wire ;  and,  finally,  he  was  sentenced  to  mess 
al.>m>,  and  to  wear  upon  his  back,  for  six  months,  a 
placard  containing,  in  conspicuous  letters,  the  word 
'  thirf ;"  and,  in  addition,  made  a  perpetual  member  of 
the  blacklist  Poor  fellow,  base  as  was  his  offense,  his 
punishment  was  enough  to  raise  pity  in  the  hardest 

r.     It  was  impossible  for  any  one  to  com  mi 
with   him.  for  every  one  knew  that  his  jmiii-! 

in-  liioli-sti'd  him.  :r,  «!.  d.ivi..^  thr  time  he 


92  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

remained  on  board,  he  moved  about  among  the  ship's 
company  shunned  by  all,  and  as  much  alone  as  though 
left  upon  a  desert  island.  He  was  kept  on  board  until 
the  d.ty  before  leaving  our  Lext  port,  when  he  disap- 
peared, having  received,  it  was  said,  an  intimation  to  the 
effect,  that  if  he  could  get  ashore,  he  would  not  be 
nought  for. 

The  experience  of  the  first  wash-morning  caused  the 
promulgationc-of  an  order,  compelling  every  man  to  place 
clothes  stops«on  his  clothes,  under  penalty  of  being  put 
on  the  never-failing  blacklist,  for  neglecting  to  obey  the 
order. 

Steering  southerly,  we  were  soon  into  warm  weather  ; 
and  now  came  another  experience  for  new  beginners. 
We  had  been  taught  to  wash  our  own  clothes.  We  were 
next  inducted  into  the  process  of  making  new  ones,  and 
neatly  mending  the  old.  While  the  weather  was  cool, 
blue  flannel  shirts  and  blue  cloth  trowsers  were  found 
none  too  warm  for  comfort ;  but  the  warmth  of  a  southern 
latitude  made  lighter  clothing  a  necessity ;  and  as  it  was 
not  judged  proper  by  the  commander  that  white  frocks 
and  trowsers  should  be  worn  at  this  time,  an  order  was 
sent  to  the  purser,  to  issue  to  the  crew,  or  such  of  them 
as  needed  it,  a  quantity  of  blue  cotton-drilling  (cabled 
dungaree  by  sailors),  sufficient  for  two  or  three  suits 
each.  And  then  began  the  labor  of  making  up  this 
stuff  into  frocks  and  ti  owsers.  Every  forehanded  sailor 
expects  to  make  his  own  light  clothing,  as  well  as  some- 
times a  portion  of  the  heavier  flannels.  For  this  pur- 
pose, each  one  has  a  "  ditty-bag,"  the  contents  of  which 
vary  but  little  from  those  of  the  sewing-baskets  of  thrifty 


SAILORS     TURNED     TAILORS.  03 

housewives  ashore.  On  board  a  merchant  vessel,  this 
ditty-bag  generally  assumes  the  shape  of  a  little  box,  but 
in  a  man-of-war,  anything  of  the  chest  or  box  kind  is 
contraband,  even  the  officers  being  prohibited  from  keep- 
ing their  clothing  in  chests  or  large  trunks.  The  ditty- 
bag  generally  contains  a  pair  of  scissors,  a  thimble,  some 
linen  thread,  a  paper  or  two  of  needles,  a  lump  of  wax, 
and  various  little  trimmings  used  in  making  up  seamen  s 
clothing,  such  as  tape,  buttons,  strips  of  binding,  etc. 
Every  true  man-of-war's  man  knows  how  to  cut  out  cloth- 
ing with  as  much  ease,  and  producing  as  correct  a  fit,  as 
the  best  tailor.  This  is  a  necessity  on  board  ship,  for 
the  ready-made  clothing  procured  of  the  purser  is  never 
known  to  fit,  being  generally  manufactured  several  sizes 
larger  than  necessary,  in  order  that  it  may  be  re-cut  and 
made  in  good  style.  I  furnished  my  ditty-bag  from  the 
purser's  stores,  and  then,  having  drawn  my  share  of  dun- 
garee, one  of  my  messmates,  a  maintopman,  cut  me  out 
a  frock,  or  "  jumper,"  (a  short  shirt  worn  over-  all,  not 
unlike  the  French  blouse),  and  a  pair  of  trowsers.  A 
sailor  wears  no  braces  or  suspenders,  and  trowsers  are, 
therefore,  made  sufficiently  tight  at  the  hips  to  sustain 
themselves  there.  They  continue  tight  nearly  down  to 
the  knees,  the  legs  being  cut  exactly  straight,  and  conse- 
quently (juite  loose  at  the  bottoms.  I  sat  me  down  amid 
a  number  of  old  hands,  and  began  the  task  of  making  up 
the  garments,  getting  one  to  show  me  where  I  found 
myself  at  a  loss.  By  dint  of  being  shown  and  studying 
out  portions  myself,  with  plentiful  ripping  out  and 
re-sewinir.  I  at  last  siunrdo;!,  to  my  no  small  gratiii  a- 
tion,  in  putting  t<>iMlu-.-  a  pair  of  trowsers,  "  ship  shape 


94  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

and  Bristol  fashion."  On  trying  them  on,  they  proved  a 
pretty  good  fit,  which  caused  me  no  little  pride  as  I  wore 
them.  In  two  weeks,  I  succeeded,  by  exercising  all  the 
patience  and  ingenuity  at  my  command,  in  making  up 
two  jumpers,  and  three  pairs  of  trowsers,  and  these  clothes 
1  soon  found  more  useful  to  me  than  any  others  I  had. 
Another  two  weeks  sufficed  to  get  my  wardrobe  in  toler- 
ably good  order,  to  have  every  pi  ce  marked  with  my 
name  and  ship's  number,  and  stops  put  on  all,  and  then 
I  was  prepared  for  the  muster  of  clothing  and  bedding 
which  was  shortly  to  take  place.  As  will  be  gathered 
from  the  remarks  heretofore  made  on  the  article  of 
clothing,  great  attention  is  paid  by  the  oificers  to  the 
general  appearance  of  the  men.  All  the  dirty  work,  such 
as  refitting  rigging,  tarring  and  slushing,  are  done  at 
sea,  in  order  that  no  one  need  be  dirty  in  port.  And, 
leyond  the  necessary  exercises,  and  working  ship,  it  is 
made  the  chief  and  all  important  duty  of  every  indi- 
vidual to  keep  himself  perfectly  clean,  and  to  dress 
neatly  and  with  taste.  In  fact,  to  take  care  of  the 
vessel  and  of  themselves,  keeping  both  in  as  good  trim  as 
possible,  is  the  sum  total  of  duty  required  of  the  crew 
of  a  vessel  of  war,  in  the  "  piping  times  of  peace." 

In  the  mean  time,  while  all  these  matters  were  being 
arranged,  and  the  vessel  and  crew  got  into  order,  the 
good  ship  herself  was  pi-owing  the  waters  with  favoring 
breeze,  each  day  increasing  the  distance  between  us  and 
home,  and  approaching  nearer  to  her  destined  port.  We 
had  continual  fair  breezes  and  beautiful  weather  after 
crossing  the  gulf,  until  we  began  to  near  the  Equinoctial 
line,  when  we  were,  for  two  weeks,  detained  by  calms  and 


IN     THE     DOLDRUMS.  95 

light  winds.  Up  to  that  time,  while  going  along  with 
steady  breeze,  we  were  but  little  bothered  about  making, 
taking  in,  or  trimming  sails.  An  occasional  furling  of 
the  i  oyal  and  mizzen  topgallant  sail  at  night,  to  enable 
our  slower  consort  a  little  sloop  of  war,  to  keep  up  in 
si  lit,  with  a  daily  tightening  up  of  the  halyards,  sheets, 
and  braces,  was  all  we  had  to  do  with  the  sails,  and  we 
boys  had  ma  !e  up  our  minds,  f i  om  this  specimen,  that 
going  to  sea  was  a  most  delightful  occupation.  To  me, 
the  new  life  seemed  peculiarly  grateful,  inasmuch  as  from 
tin1  very  first  breath  of  salt  air  I  had  inhaled,  I  had  felt 
myself  gaining  health  and  strength.  The  pure  and 
refreshing  breeze,  the  clear  sky,  and  mild  but  bracing 
atmosphere  which  we  experienced  while  running  down  the 
nnrth-ejst  trades,  infused  new  vigor  into  my  system,  and 
with  thrj  exercise  I  got  in  running  up  and  down  the 
g,  and  climbing  about  various  parts  of  the  ship, 
gave  me  fresh  hold  on  life,  and  made  "a  new  boy" 
of  me. 

We  had  been  going  along  finely  for  a  number  of  days, 
rattling  eight  and  sometimes  ten  knots  off  the  log, 
although  latterly  the  breeze  had  seemed  to  be  getting 
//""•//,  and  an  occasional  flap  of  our  immense  topsails, 
told  that  it  was  also  losing  its  strength,  when  one  morning, 
on  *•  turning  out"  at  four  o'clock,  we  found  the  breeze 
gone,  studding-sails  hauled  down  on  deck,  the  yards 
braced  sharp  up,  and  the  ship  rolling  ur. easily  from  side 
le,  on  the  swell,  at  every  roll  the  topsails  flapping 
violently  airainst  the  mast,  or  filling  with  a  jerk,  as  thou-h 
'in  .I  to  carry  away  the  masts.  \\V  hud  lost  the 
trado.  but  wrre  yet  in  the  trade  swell.  The  air.  U-toro 


90  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

pure  and  almost  dazzling,  was  now  hazy,  the  beautiful 
azure  of  the  sky  was  become  light  blue,  interspersed  with 
long  streaks  of  pale  yellow  or  dull  white.  We  were  in 
the  Doldrums.  The  older  sailors,  who,  many  of  them, 
in  their  fashion,  and  for  their  own  gratification,  kept  the 
run  of  the  ship,  had  been  for  somo  days  talking  about 
the  approaching  change,  and  had  found  some  agreeable 
excitement  in  hazarding  little  bets  as  to  what  watch 
would  "  lose  the  trades."  At  every  change  of  watch  the 
tars  of  one  side  would  duly  give  the  weather  in  charge 
of  those  of  the  other,  with  instructions  to  return  it  in 
as  good  order  as  given.  There  was,  therefore,  consider- 
able merriment  and  chaffing  between  the  two  watches 
when  we  came  upon  deck,  and  saw  the  change  made  in 
the  last  four  hours. 

''Well,  Jack,  what  have  you  dons  with  the  wind?" 
asked  a  foretopman  of  a  forecastleman  of  the  other 
watch. 

''  It 's  gone  down  to  Davy  Jones',  and  you  fellows  thai 
are  so  anxious  about  it  had  better  go  down  after  it,"  was 
the  answer. 

"  Brace  round  the  yards,"  was  now  the  order  of  the 
day.  The  lightest  of  do^  vanes  was  set  up  on  the  horse- 
block, and  the  attention  of  quartermasters  and  officers  of 
the  watch  was  anxiously  divided  between  that  and  the  still 
lighter  mast-head  vane,  in  order  that  no  favoring  flaw  might 
pass  over  without  being  brought  into  our  service.  All 
work  on  rigging  was  laid  aside,  and  the  watch  on  deck 
did  nothing  but  tend  the  braces,  and  haul  up  and  down 
the  courses.  The  north-east  trades  commence  generally  in 
about  latitude  thirty,  and  are  held  sometimes  down  to 


CAT'SPAWS.  97 

the  line,  but  vessels  generally  lose  them  in  from  three  to 
H-VCH  degrees  north,  when  bound  southward,  or  "  catch  " 
t IK- in  within  those  parallels  when  bound  north.  The 
south-east  trades  more  frequently  carry  a  ship  right  across 
the  line,  and  the  writer  of  this  was  so  fortunate  once  a*, 
to  be  carried  by  them  into  latitude  five  degrees  north,  and 
there  to  take  the  north-east  trades,  with  scarcely  an 
Jiour's  calm,  or  light  variable  winds.  This,  however,  is 
not  a  common  occurrence.  On  the  present  passage  we 
were  not  destined  to  experience  any  such  good  fortune. 
"We  lost  the  trades  when  in  ten  degrees  north  latitude, 
and  (1  lifted  about  at  the  mercy  of  the  variables  for  more 
than  two  weeks,  before  catching  again  a  favorable  breeze. 
In  this  time,  we  were  continually  chasing  the  wind  round 
the  compass.  First,  there  was  a  dead  calm,  and  the  ship 
lay  silent  upon  a  sea  whose  surface  was  as  of  glass. 
Then  a  ripple,  seen  afar  off,  heralded  the  approach  of  a 
little  breeze,  "  a  cat's  paw,"  as  such  little  drafts  upon  the 
bank  of.^Eolus  are  called,  perhaps  from  their  not  con- 
taining even  a  "cap  full"  of  wind.  Its  progress  over 
the  waters  is  anxiously  watched  by  the  quartermaster, 
who  endeavors,  by  working  the  wheel,  to  head  the  vessel 
the  right  way  for  receiving  a  due  benefit  from  it  The 
yards,  before  braced  contrary  ways,  in  order  that  the 
vessel  might  lay  as  steadily  as  possible,  are  now  hauled 
sharp  up.  Scarcely  are  the  braces  belayed,  when  the 
masthead  vane,  which  was  before  hanging  as  dead,  lifts 
itself  sluggishly  up,  and  at  last  flutters  out  horizontally, 
•mriiur  that  there  is  a  breeze,  a  fact  which  would  be 
"Tii>Twise  quite  imperceptible.  Now  the  royals  fill  for  a 
inunu nt.  and  collapse  again,  spasmodically,  as  though  the 


98  MAN  —  OF-TTAK     LIFE  : 

exertion  was  too  mu  h  for  them.  Now  the  weather  lencfc 
of  the  topgallant  sails  flutters  a  moment. 

"  No  higher,"  shouts  the  quartermaster  to  the  man  at 
the  wheel ;  "  keep  her  off  a  little." 

The  helm  is  put  up,  but  the  wind  is  veering  even  as  it 
strikes  us,  as  though  in  its  effort  to  move  the  ship,  itself 
was  obliged  to-  give  way, 

"  Full  sails,  full  sails,  there,"  grufBy  says  the  captain, 
whom  the  slightest  appearance  of  a  breeze  brings  upon 
deck. 

The  helm  is  bard  up,  and  she  pays- off,  shivering  in 
the  wind  all  the  time,  till  a  sudden  flaw  brings  her  all 
aback,  and  "  brace  round  the  yards,"  is  the  cry.  But  a 
cloud  has  gathered  overhead  during  the  previous  maneu- 
vering, and  now  empties  its  contents  upon  us. 

"  Pull  round  the  foreyard,  men  ;  be  lively,"  urges  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  as  a  blast,  stronger  than  any  before, 
persuades  him  that  the  breeze  is  set,  for  a  little  while  at 
least. 

"  How's  her  h«ad,  quartermaster  ?'r 

"  Nothe'sd  by  east,  sir," 

The  rain  is  pouring  down  in  torrents  ;  the  sails  are 
well  filled,  and  the  vessel  going  through  the  water,  some 
four  knots. 

"  This  will  never  do  for  a  man  bound  south.''  mutters 
the  officer  of  the  deck,  looking  inquiringly  at  the  captain, 
who  is  sheltering  himself  under  the  hammock  cloth,  near 
the  break  of  the  poop. 

A  nod  from  the  latter,  and  "  Ready  about,"  is  bel- 
lowed from  the  speaking- trumpet  of  th?  lieutenant,  and 
reverberated  from  the  hoars1  throat?  of  boatswain'* 


CHASING     THE     WIND.  99 

mates,  dying  away  in  the  diminuendo  of  little  midship- 
men. 

"  Stations  there,  every  body,"  shouts  the  boatswain, 
making  a  rush  up  the  main-hatch,  and  forward. 

44  Ready,  ready." 

4 'All  ready  forward,  sir,"  answers  the  officer  of  the 
forecastle. 

"Helm's  alee,"  and  around  goes  the  wheel,  amid  a 
general  trill  of  the  boatswain's  mates'  pipes.  Jib-sheets 
and  fore-sheet  are  let  go,  and  the  ship  flies  quickly  into 
the  wind. 

11  Tacks  and  sheets,"  and  the  fore  and  niain-tack  and 
main-sheet,  are  let  go  and  overhauled. 

44  Haul  well  taut — main  sail  haul;'  and  in  obedience 
to  the  word  of  command,  round  swing  the  ponderou 
yards,  bringing  up  with  a  thwack  against  the  backstays 
uliich  shows  that  the  word  was  given  at  the  exact  time 

44  Run  round,  lively,  men ;  run  in  the  slack  before  h  ? 
goes  back  ;  down  main-tack,  now ;  ride  him  down,  boys ; 
N  — May — and  aft  sheet." 

•'  Head  braces  every  body — haul  well  taut — let  go 
and  haul,"  and  away  we  run,  plash,  plash  over  the  deck, 
stumbling  over  wet  ropes,  and  rolling  in  the  scupper.? 
occasionally,  until  the  head-yards  are  de.-lared  to  be 
44  chock  up,"  the  bowlines  are  hauled  out,  the  weather 
main-brace  hauled  taut,  and  then. 44  clear  up  the  rigging." 

Tlir  ruin  has  slacked  a  little,  but,  of  course,  every 
body  (except  the  officers)  is  wet  through,  and  we  have  a 
merry  time  tripping  one  another  up  in  the  lee-scuppers, 
a n« I  taking  a  good  roll  in  the  fresh  water.  Some  wide- 
awak.-  fellows  have  secured  buckets,  and  put  soiled  clothes 


100  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

to  soak  in  them,  in  the  fresh  water,  remembering  that  it 
is  much  easier  to  wash  with  than  salt. 
'      But  there  is  no  time  to  wash  clothes.     A  glance  at  the 
compass  tells  the  officer  of  the  deck  that  we  are  going 
free;  and, 

"  Chejk  in  the  braces,  and  stand  by  to  set  the  foretop 
mast  studding-sail,"  is  the  word. 

The  yards  are  squared  in  a  little,  and  the  wet  fore  top- 
mast studding-sail  lugged  out  and  set.  Still  the  wind  is 
hauling  aft,  and  directly  the  yards  are  laid  nearly 
square ;  and, 

"  Stand  by,  to  set  all  the  starboard  studding-sails," 
sends  the  topmen  and  fore.astlemen  aloft,  to  let  down  the 
gear  and  get  the  b  oms  out.  Direct' y  we  hear : 

"All  ready,  main  topgallant  studding-sail,  sir." 

"All  ready,  . oretopgallant  studding-sail,  sir."  And, 
last  of  all,  the  officer  of  the  forecastle  leports: 

"All  ready ;  lower  studding-sail." 

The  halyards  and  tacks  are  manned ;  the  waisters  are 
crowded  upon  the  lower  boom  toppenlift;  and,  at  the 
word,  all  three  sails  flap  in  mid-air  for  a  moment, 
and  are  then  securely  set,  adding  their  mite  to  our 
velocity. 

Every  one  draws  a  long  breath,  and  we  begin  to  con- 
gratulate one  another  upon  such  a  fine  breeze.  But  it 
will  not  last  long.  The  wind  still  hauls.  The  yards  are 
laid  exactly  square.  All  the  larboard  studding-sails  are 
set.  The  heavy  topsails  begin  to  flap  idly  against  the 
mast  already,  before  the  last  stud'n-sail  is  up.  Ere  an 
hour  is  over,  the  yards  are  braced  sharp  up  on  the 
other  tack.  The  sun  comes  out,  scorching  every  thing 


CHASING     THE     WIND.  I  0\ 

scorchable,  and  killing  off  the  little  remains  of  a  breeze 
still  left  us ;  the  stud  n-sails  are  taken  in  as  soon  as  dry, 
and  the  ship  is  once  more  motionless,  except  a  heavy  sup 
into  the  sea,  which  tells  of  the  late  breeze.  Studding-sails 
are  made  up  and  stowed  away  on  the  booms;  rigging 
coiled  up;  decks  swept  off;  wet  clothes  (those  which 
have  not  yet  dried  on  our  backs)  hung  in  the  rigging  to 
dry;  and,  eight  bells  being  struck,  the  watch  is  over. 
Such  watches — and  we  experienced  a  goo  I  many  of  them 
before  we  got  out  of  the  Doldrums — in  which  we  were 
kept  moving  the  whole  four  hours,  plashing  about  in  the 
wet,  straining  at  halyards,  tacks,  and  braces,  gave  me 
quite  different  ideas  of  the  delights  of  the  sea.  I  found 
that  here,  as  everywhere  else,  there  was  a  compensa- 
tion— an  evil  for  every  good.  However,  by  dint  of  chas- 
ing all  the  cat's-paws,  and  making  use  of  every  available 
puff  of  wind,  we  at  last  got  across  the  line. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

'•CROSSING  the  Line — An  old  Topman's  Yarn  —  How  Junmy 
Squarefoot  ran  away  with  a  Sailor  —  Fourth  of  July  at 
Sea  —  Nearing  our  Port  —  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

CROSSING  the  line  was  quite  an  event  in  the  lives  of 
those  who  were  now  making  their  fi.  st  voyage.  The  cere^ 
monies  of  shaving,  ducking,  and  tribute  exacting,  which 
we  read  of  as  being  so  much  in  vogue  in  firmer  days,  on 
occasions  of  this  kind,  have  gone  out  of  use  in  this  prac- 
tical age,  and  I,  who  had  looked  forward  with  delighted 
terror  to  the  advent  of  Neptune,  and  the  initiation  ot 
us  green  hands  into  the  mysteries  of  the  sea  god,  was 
obliged  to  content  myself  with  reminiscences  of  the  older 
tars,  most  of  whom  had  undergone  the  ordeal  of  Father 
Neptune's  razor  and  bathing  tub,  and  taken  the  required 
obligations,  "  never  to  eat  brown  bread,  when  you  can  get 
white ;  never  to  kiss  the  mLid,  when  you  can  kiss  the 
mistress ;  to  eschew  water,  and  drink  grog ;  hate  a  sojei 
and  love  a  pretty  girl." 

"Ah,  boy,"  said  one  old  fellow  to  me,  when  I  had  been 
coaxing  him  into  telling  me  a  yarn  about  crossing  the 
line ;  '  those  were  what  your  book?  would  have  called  the 
halcyon  days  of  the  sea.  There  was  some  loman^e  about 
a  si  lip  when  I  first  went  to  sea,  and  the  tars  of  those 
(102) 


C  K  <)  .-  .    I  %  <•      T  II  K     L  INK.  lO-'i 

days  made  as  familiar  with  old  Father  Neptune  and  the 
Hying  Dutchman,  ae  a  half-starved  sojer  would  with  a 
bread-barge." 

••  \Vell,  "  said  I,  "  Jack,  that's  sorry  news  for  us  boys, 
\\hn  came  mostly  for  the  romance  of  the  thing,  and  to 
\\var  out  our  old  clothes.  But  come,  as  we  ain't  to  see 
anything  of  Father  Neptune,  you  be  good-natured  and 
tell  us  all  about  him — that's  the  next  best  thing  to  see- 
ing him." 

Jack  Haley,  our  captain  of  the  maintop,  was  a  tai 
who  had  wintered  and  suinme.ed  in  all  climes  and  coun- 
tries, a  great  burly  fellow,  whose  arm  was  as  big  round 
as  my  body,  and  whose  bronzed  neck,  almost  rivaling  in 
firmness  of  muscular  development  that  of  a  wild  bull, 
gave  evidence  of  a  strength,  literally  little  less  than 
Herculean.  Withal,  Jack  had  a  heart  '•  big  enough,"  as 
one  of  his  old  shipmates  once  said,  "  to  fill  up  his  whole 
invat  big  body."  I  knew  his  weak  side,  and,  having 
found  him  stretched  along  the  weather  gangway,  sur- 
rounded by  his  topmates,  felt  sure  of  being  able  to  coax 
him  into  a  yarn. 

11  A  Veil,"  said  he,  at  last,  wh?n  some  of  the  topmen 
lia«l  seconded  my  wish  for  a  "real  good  yarn  of  the  old 
times,"  "  my  own  first  crossing  the  line  and  introduction 
to  the  old  fellow  with  the  g.ains,  would  not  be  interest- 
ing at  all,  shipmates,  for  it  was  just  like  all  others,  and 
thrre  was  too  much  slush  and  dirty  water  about  it.  ti-i 
any  romance,  which  is  what  this  boy  is  after  " — tinning 
to  me;  "but  if  you'll  all  listen,  and  not  interrupt. 
M  tin-  breeze  seems  to  be  steady,  and  old  '  Dya\  no 
Ligher'  has  quit  hallooing  at  us,  I'll  try  to  spin  \  u  a- 


1 04  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

yariv  that  I  was  told  once,  by  an  old  tar  that  was  in  the 
same  ship  in  which  it  took  place,  and,  by  consequence, 
knew  all  about." 

At  this  point,  Jack  stopped  to  take  in  a  c  upb  of 
ounces  of  the  purser's  cavendish,  while  we  took  advan- 
tage of  the  interruption  to  gather  round  a  little  closer, 
and  make  ourselves  as  comfortable  under  our  pea-jackets 
as  we-  could. 

"Well,"  said  Jack,  ''you  must  know,  topmates,  that 
what  I'm  going  to  tell  you  happened  when  I  was  quite  a 
boy.  It  was  rny  third  voyage  at  sea,  and  my  first  into 
the  South  Atlantic.  Our  vessel  belonged  to  Hull,  in 
England.  She  was  a  lbrigr  and  we  \vere  bound  from  Lon- 
don to  Kio,  with  a  cargo  of  assorted  wares — a  general 
cargo,  as  they  call  it.  Our  whole  ship's  comp  ,ny,  with 
the  exception  of  the  mate  and  myself,  were  Jordies,  arid 
sujh  of  you  as  have  sailed  in  the  north  country  ships 
will  know,  that  among  a  rough  set  of  colliermen,  a  poor 
west  country  boy  stood  a  small  chance.  But  then,  I  had 
had  civility  beakn  into  me  on  the  first  two  voyages,  and 
learnt  by  experience  that  it  was  better  to  make  friends 
than  enemies  of  the  crew.  We  had  shipped  our  crew  in 
Hull,  and  they  staid  by  the  brig  in  London,  because  the 
skipper  and  they  agreed  very  well,  and  he  gave  them 
good  wages.  They  were  all  good  men,  but,  like  all  Jor- 
dies, °  awful  growls.  However,  the  old  man  didn't  care 
for  their  growling,  so  long  as  it  was  growl  and  go.  He 
used  to  say  they  would  growl  if  they  w^re  fed  on  chickeo 

:-  The  sailors  belonging  to  the  ports  on  the  north-eastern 
coast  of  England,  are  called  Jordies.  They  are  a  peculiar  set, 
known  as  great  growlers  and  excellent  sailors. 


A     T  0  P  M  A  N  '  S     Y  A  R  N .  1  ()."> 

sea-pie  and  soft  tack  and  butter  every  day.  and  had 
nothing  to  do  but  smoke  their  pipes  and  spin  yarns;  and 
while  we  were  in  liio,  the  steward  tried  them  on  the 
grub,  and,  by  the  hook-bio jk,  shipmates,  they  called  the 
skipper  a  stingy  old  fool,  and  threatened  to  sue  him  for 
cheating  them  out  of  their  regular  allowance  of  mahogany 
and  salt  pork,  and  giving  them  nothing  to  eat  but  a  lot 
of  trashy  chickens.  Howsomever,  this  ain't  the  yarn 
that  I  was  to  tell  you.  They  were  a  lot  of  bloody  old 
growls,  as  I  said,  and  would  curse  and  swear  in  their 
north  country,  Jordie  jargon,  by  the  hour.  '  Cat-%ced 
booger '  was  the  best  word  that  came  out  of  their 
mouth." 

Here  a  Jordie  among  the  listeners  said  in  his  broadest 
lingo : 

"  Eh,  you  cat-faced  booger,"  which  produced  a  general 
smile. 

"Ah,  Jordie,"  said  Jack,  "you're  listening;  well, 
perhaps  you  have  heard  the  same  yarn  that  I  'm  going  t  > 
tell,  for  it 's  known  to  every  sailor  out  of  the  port  of  Hull. 
As  I  was  saying,  they  were  a  great  pet  to  curse  and  swear, 
%11  except  one,  a  quiet  sober-looking  old  man,  whose  hair 
was  beginning  to  turn  gray,  and  whose  wrinkled,  weather- 
l«iaten  face  told  of  many  storms  and  dangers.  He  was  a 
vrrv  kind-hearted  old  fellow,  as  I  had  occasion  to  know, 
f«»r  he  often  helped  me  out  when  I  was  bothered  in  making 
a  pair  of  canvas  trowsers,  or  a  frock.  He  said  v  i y  little, 
nothing  more  than  was  barely  necessary,  never  was  hcanj 
laughing  or  singing  over  his  can  of  grog  on  Saturday 
eveniiurs.  like  the  rest,  and  held  little  e  >mmuniration  with 
auy  one  on  beard.  Nevertheless,  he  was  every  inch  a 


106  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

seaman,  one  who  knew  his  duty,  and  was  always  first 
aloft,  at  reefing  or  handing,  and  was  the  mate's  trusty 
man.  When  the  men  would  gather  together  in  the  dog 
watches,  after  we  got  into  fine  weather,  and  smoke  their 
pipes  and  spin  long  yarns,  he  would  sit  apait  on  the  top 
gallant  forecastle,  and  smoke  and  think,  and  say  nothing 
until,  somehow,  we  boys  got  it  in  our  heads  that  the  old 
fellow,  for  all  his  good  look,  was  a  wizard,  and  were  half 
afraid  of  him.  We  had  a  fair  passage  out.  taking  the 
north-east  trades  shortly  after  we  got  out  of  the  Bay  of 
Bis -ay,  and  carrying  them  nearly  to  the  line.  As  we 
nearel  the  line,  there  was  much  talk  over  the  ceremony 
of  receiving  Neptune  on  board,  and  we  found  that  besides 
us  boys,  (there  were  four  of  us,)  there  was  one  old  Jordie, 
who,  having  been  all  his  life  running  between  Sunderland, 
and  Shields,  and  London,  with  .an  occasional  trip  up  the 
Baltic,  was  now  in  his  old  age  to  be  initiated  into  Nep- 
tune's mysteries.  The  balance  of  the  crew  were  South 
Spainers*  and  had  all  paid  their  tiibute  to  the  sea  god. 
Jordie  Christie,  as  he  was  called,  had  said  nothing  about 
never  having  crossed  the  line,  thinking  probably  that  the 
rest  of  the  crew  would  not  dare  to  take  any  liberties  with 
him.  When  he  found  that  he  too  was  expected  to  undergo 
the  ordeal,  he  sat  on  his  chest,  and  swore  at  a  terrible 
rate,  threatening  to  use  a  heaver  on  the  first  man's  head 
that  dared  touch  him.  Old  Jimmy,  our  quiet  man,  looked 

0  "  South  Spainers  "  those  are  called,  among  the  sailors  of  the 
north  country,  who  are  in  the  habit  of  making  voyages  to  the 
Indies  or  America,  instead  of  coasting  and  North  Sea  and 
Baltic  trading ;  which  last  is  considered  by  these  men  to  be 
their  peculiar  branch  of  the  business. 


THE     B  A  R  Q  U  K     8  U  N  !>  K  K  L  A  N  D  .  1  07 

black  at  him,  to  hear  him  swear  so,  and  at  last,  when  at 
sMj'|.or,  the  day  before  we  were  to  c  oss  the  line,  Christie 
aud  some  o;  the  rest  got  into  a  hot  dispute,  and  the 
cursing  grew  stronger  and  louder,  Jimmy  all  at  once  came 
amo.;gst  them,  (he  used  to  take  his  pot  of  tea  and  bread 
a  .(I  mahogany  apart,  t:>  eat,)  and  said : 

••  Shipmates  it' you  had  all  my  experience  of  the  con- 
gees of  such  cursing  and  swearing  talk,  you  would 
know  that  no  good  comes  of  it.'' 

••  Well,  old  foulweather  Ja  k,  let's  hear  your  yarn 
about  what  comes  of  those  that  swear,"  said  one  of  the 
most  profane. 

4t  It  may  be  a  warning  to  you,  shipmates,  and  as 
there's  nothing  to  do  after  supper,  and  the  barkey  is  going 
along  steady,  when  the  boys  clear  away  the  things,  I'll 
tell  you  what  happened  in  the  barque  Sunderland,  when 
I  was  in  her,  on  a  voyage  from  Hull  to  Buenos  Ayres." 

••  Were  you  in  the  barque  Sunderland?"  asked  a  Hull 
sailor,  with  much  excitement. 

"  Yes,  shipmate." 

"  Well,  by  the  holy  man  of  the  mast,  I  don't  wonder 
you  carry  such  a  bloody  long  figure-head,  and  look  as 
solemn  as  a  pig  with  his  head  cut  off.  Why,  boys,  aboard 
that  bloody  barque  old  Jemmy  Squarefoot  took  a  fellow 
away  off  his  chest,  and  kept  him  a  week,  out  of  the  ship, 
and  then  brought  him  back  !" 

Of  course  this  aroused  every  one's  curiosity,  and  the 
ud  pans  were  wiped  out,  and  pipes  lit,  and  every- 
body gathered  about  old  Jimmy,  eager  to  hear  about  tho 
n-vil  <-arryingoffa  man. 

M  Well  lads,"  he  began,  when  everything  was  settled, 


1 08  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

and  the  pipes  were  all  going,  "  we  were  in  the  Varque 
Sunderland,  bound  from  Hull  to  Buenos  Ay  res,  after  a 
cargo  of  hides  and  horns.  She  was  a  lively  barque,  a 
trim  boat,  sailed  well,  worked  easy,  and  steered  like  a 
top.  We  had  twelve  men  b  fore  the  mast.  The  fore- 
castle had  leaked  a  little  on  first  coming  out,  and  the 
.skipper  allowed  us  to  move  our  chests  into  a  large  steer- 
age she  had,  where  we  lived  as  comfortably  as  dukes. 
We  had  a  good  crew,  all  except  the  sailmaker,  who  was  a 
horrid  wicked  wretch,  whose  mouth  never  opened  but  to 
let  out  a  lot  of  cursing  and  blackguarding,  that  was 
enough  to  sink  the  ship.  Now,  Sails  had  never  made  a 
southern  voyage  before,"  (here  everybody  looked  at 
Jordie  Christie,  but  Jimmy  took  no  notice),  ''and  when 
we  came  to  near  the  line,  he  declared  his  intention  never 
to  see  Neptune,  nor  submit  himself  to  the  usual  ceremo- 
nies. The  nearer  we  approached  the  equator,  as  the 
skipper  calls  the  line,  the  louder  Sails  swore,  until  one 
Sunday  morning,  when  we  were  all  sitting  on  our  chests 
in  the  steerage,  smoking  and  yarning,  he  all  at  once  broke 
out  in  a  long  string  of  oaths,  and  ended  by  declaring 
that  he  wished  Jimmy  Squarefoot  might  take  him  off  to 
perdition  that  minute,  if  he  ever  meant  to  submit  to  any 
of  their  gammon.  Shipmates,  he  hadn't  the  words  out 
of  his  mouth  before  the  poor  fool  began  to  wriggle,  and 
struggle,  and  bellow,  as  though  somebody  had  hold  of 
him,  dragging  him  off.  And  while  we  all  sat  astounded, 
he  was  lifted  bodily  off  his  chest,  and  carried  on  his 
back,  struggling  and  catching  at  everything  that  ta 
passed,  right  up  the  steerage  ladder — tearing  down  a 
stancheon  on  the  way,  so  tightly  did  he  cling — and  then 


A     VISIT     FROM     JEMMY     SQUARE  FOOT.     1 09 

forward,  across  to  the  lee  side,  and  over  the  fore-sheet, 
catching  and  unreeving  the  lee  fore-tack  as  he  went  over- 
1  man  I — and  that  was  the  last  we  saw  of  him,  although 
we  heard  a  shouting  and  groaning  for  more  than  ten 
minutes  afterward.  We  had  followed  Sails  up  the 
hatchway,  and  had  seen  him  dragged  forward  by  some 
invisible  powc-r.  He  went  alonj;  head  foremost,  and  on 
his  back,  only  his  heels  touching  the  deck,  he  catching 
at  every  rope  as  he  went  past,  and  struggling  to  hold  on, 
but  all  in  vain. 

"  You  may  fancy,  shipmates,  how  we  all  felt.  The  boys 
cried  for  fright,  and  we  men  shut  our  lips  together,  and 
thought  our  time  was  come.  The  captain  came  down 
into  the  steerage  by  and  by,  and  asked  how  the  whole 
thing  had  commenced.  (He  aud  the  mates  had  seen  all 
that  occurred  on  deck.)  After  we  had  told  him  all  about 
Sail's  cursing  he  pulled  a  Bible  out  of  his  pocket  (I 
doubt  if  he  had  ever  opened  it  before),  and  said  he 
would  read  some  chapters  to  us,  and  then  go  en  deck, 
where  there  was  a  prayer-book,  and  have  prayers.  And 
so  we  did,  although  the  skipper  made  a  poor  fist  at  read- 
ing prayers,  having  to  stop  and  spell  out  the  longest 
words,  and  calling  them  by  su  h  bloody  ugly  names  that 
1  tan  y  the  Lord  didn't  more  than  half  understand  him. 
Howsomedever,  be  that  as  it  may,  we  were  glad  to  hear 
the  prayer,  aud  there  was  no  more  cursing  on  that  day, 
in  the  steerage.  We  talked  the  matter  over,  but  it  was 
as  plain  as  the  cook's  face,  that  .Jemmy  S.jua.refoot  had 
been  listening  and  hearing  >V///\v  impious  wish,  and  had 
taken  him  at  his  word. 

44  That   night  we  all   gathered  on    the  steerage-hatch, 


110  MAN-OF-WAK     LIFE: 

for  somehow  no  one  cared  to  stay  on  the  forecastle ;  and 
the  mate  once  said,  indeed  that  while  looking  to  leeward, 
unier  the  foot  of  the  mainsail  he  heard  a  groan,  and 
then  a  peal  of  devi.ish  laught  r ;  but  none  of  us  heard 
it,  and,  perhaps,  it  was  only  his  imagination.  Next  day 
was  Monday,  and  all  that  week  we  were  kept  tight  to 
work,  so  that  we  should  not  have  time  to  think  over  poor 
Sails.  And  so,  what  with  not  caring  to  talk  over  the 
matter,  and  scarcely  having  time  to  think  of  it,  by  the 
time  Saturday  night  came  along,  we  had  apparently  for- 
gotten that  such  a  fellow  as  he  was  ever  in  the  ship. 
But,  shipmates,  somehow  /  thought  of  him  all  the  time, 
and  I  guess  the  rest  did  too,  although  they  said  nothing. 
There  was  one  evidence  of  our  yet  bearing  in  memory  the 
fate  of  the  unfortunate,  and  that  was,  that  there  had 
not  been  an  oath  heard  on  board,  since  his  mysterious 
disappearance.  Saturday  night  passed  off  more  quietly 
than  usual.  We  sipped  our  grog  in  silence,  or  spoke  a 
few  words  about  the  probable  distance  to  port,  which  we 
were  anxious  to  reach,  as  it  was  a  general  understanding 
among  all  hands  forward,  that  we  wou'd  there  leave,  and 
not  try  to  return  to  England  in  what  we  felt  to  be  a 
doomed  vessel. 

" '  We  had  passed  the  line  and  taken  a  fair  slant,  wlLoh 
had  set  us  well  on  our  way.  Sunday  morning  came. 
There  was  a  good  breeze,  and  we  were  bowling  off  ei^ht 
knots,  with  fore  topmast  and  main  topgallant  stud'n-suils 
set.  At  eight  bells  we  went  to  breakfast,  both  watches, 
as  it  was  fair  weather,  eating  together  in  the  steerage. 
After  breakfast  was  cleared  off,  we  sat  on  our  chests 
smoking,  when  old  Bill  Thorn-1,  s  all  at  once  spoke  up : 


T  !!   K      (    I*  R  »  f  X  (.'      S  A  I  L  M  A  K  K  ft  .  Ill 

" '  Well,  shipmates,  what's  the  use  of  trying  to  hide 
it  V  we're  all  thinking  of  the  same  thing — how  last  Sun- 
tiny,  at  this  time,  we  had  one  more  in  the  mess/ 

•••lust  then,  before  any  one  could  answer,  there  was 
a  sound  as  of  a  heavy  body  falling  on  deck,  forward,  and 
a  loud  cry  from  the  man  at  the  wh<?el,  who  was  the  only 
one  on  deck,  at  the  time,  the  cook  being  down  in  the 
ealtin  getting  the  cabin  breakfast.  We  started  up,  look- 
ing a  tone  another  in  alarm.  Bill  said: 

"  Lads,  let  us  all  go  on  deck  together,  for  blast  my 
toplights  if  I  t^on't  believe  this  blocdy  ship  is  haunted.' 

"  I  led  the  way  being  nearest  the  ladder.  On  deck 
we  found  the  officers  just  running  forward,  and  we  all 
led  t  ward  the  forecastle  in  a  body.  Arrived 
there,  we  heard  a  groan,  and  looking  to  leeward  of  the 
foremast,  on  the  rigging,  we  found,  shipmates/  said 
old  Jimmy,  earnestly,  '  we  found  the  body  of  the  sail- 
tHdb'rf  He  was  barely  breathing,  and  just  able  to 
open  his  eyes  and  mouth,  and  let  out  an  occasional  groan. 
^Aftcr  standing  a  few  minutes  in  utter  consternation,  we 
mustered  our  senses  together  and  took  him  down  below. 
s  uiie  of  the  men  swearing  roundly,  in  their  terror,  that 
u  't  <>nly  wouldn't  they  touch  any  one  who  had  passed  a 
week  \\-ith  old  Jemmy  Squarefoot,  but  even  refusing  to 
sl«vj)  in  the  steerage  while  he  was  there.  However, 
tlirir  counsel  did  not  prevail.  We  took  him  down  and 
laid  him  in  his  bunk,  which  had  never  been  touched 
si  nee  his  disappearance.  He  was  overhauled  by  the 
skipper,  who  said  that  no  bones  were  broken,  but  he  was 
somewhat  bruised.  We  fed  him  and  tended  on  him  care- 
fullv  for  two  or  three  days,  when  he  was  able  to  go  to  his 


112  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

duty.  But  he  was  a  changed  man.  From  being  a  noisy, 
violent  fellow,  always  ready  to  quarrel,  he  had  become 
quiet  and  silent,  never  speaking  unless  p.eviously  spoken 
to,  and  making  as  short  answers  as  possible.  You  may 
imagine  that  we  were  eager  enough  to  know  what  he 
had  been  doing,  or  where  he  had  been  during  his  week's 
absence.  But  on  this  subject  he  preserved  a  most  studi- 
ous silence,  and  the  only  bit  of  information  that  we  ever 
pumped  out  of  him  was  this,  that  he  was  awake  and 
conscious  all  the  time  that  he  was  away.  We  got  to 
Buenos  Ayres  in  due  time,  and  there  found  our  cargo 
waiting  for  us.  It  being  the  time  of  year  in  whi.h  the 
pamperos  blow,  we  were  not  allowed  to  go  ashore,  and, 
not  being  able  to  make  our  escape  from  the  vessel,  were 
obliged  to  return  with  her  to  Hull.  We  were  rather  a  dull 
set  on  the  passage  home,  and  I  never  was  so  glad  to  get  out 
of  a  vessel,  as  I  was  to  get  rid  of  the  barque  Sunderland. 
When  we  got  to  Hull,  the  sailmaker,  who  had  got  very 
pious  ever  since  his  return  to  the  vessel,  and  read  his 
Bible  daily,  consulted  with  a  parson,  and  con  .hided  to 
live  on  shore,  and  go  to  sea  no  more.  He  told  us  his 
shipmates,  that  he  had  related  his  adventures  to  the 
chaplain  at  the  Sailor's  Bethel  in  Hull,  that  they  were 
to  be  printed,  but  not  till  after  his  death." 

"And  the  barque  Sunderland  ?  " 

"  She  was  for  a  long  time  unable  to  get  a  crew.  No 
one  would  ship  in  a  vessel  to  which  the  devil  had  free 
access.  At  last,,  she  got  a  crew,  and  sailed  on  a  voyage 
to  the  West  Indies,  but  she  never  reached  her  first  port, 
and  was  never  heard  from." 


1  N  1)  K  i'  i:  1)  K  N  C  E     DAY      AT     SEA.  11  ,<> 

Eight  bells  was.  struck  just  as  Jack  Haley  finished 
his  yarn  to  which  we  had  all  listened  with  great 
inter 

••  (iet  a  pull  of  the  weather  nuin-brace,"  was  the  word 

passed  along  for  the  \vatch,  and  we  hastily  broke  up. 

gathered  up  our  jackets,  tightened  the  brace,  and  went 

below  to  our  hammocks,  1   with   my  head   filled  with 

ghosts,  and  imps  and  drunken  swearing  sailors,  which 

Classes  of  personages  formed  the  staple  subjects  of 

urns,  the  next  four  hours. 

\Ve  crossed  the  line  without  anything  remarkable  hap- 
pening. 

11  \Vhy,  we  didn't  even  see  it."  said  a  waister,  with  a 
look  of  disappointment,  that  elicited  a  burst  of  laughter 

I  expense. 

A  few  days  longer  of  light  variable  winds  and  heavy 

rs,  and  we  were  blessod  with  a  fine  breeze  from  the 

eastward,  which,  gradually  hauling  to  south-east,  the  -c 

id  continued  with  us  until  we  made  the  hnd.     We 

now  bowled  along  right  merrily.     Everything  on  board 

had  Keen  redujed  to  the  required  order,  the  crew  were 

well  acquainted,  sufficiently  so    to  make  things 

agreeaMe,  and  the  mild  air  and  beautiful  weather  put 

">dy,  even  to   our  crusty  old   captain,  in  a  good 

humor.    Besides  preparing  our  ship  for  her  entrance  into 

p  -rt.  we  h:id  general  quarters  every  Friday  morning. 

rtiniat-lv,    the  Fourth    of   July  fell    on    Friday. 
had  never  before  been  in  a  vessel  of  war,  very 
'!ly  tln.uirht  that  Independence  Day,  if  not  cele- 
i  as  a  holiday  on  board,  would,  at  any  rate,  prove 
excuse  for  omitting  general  quarters;  and 
8 


114  MAN-OF-WAR    LI*  E: 

some  even  prophesied  the  distribution  of 'a  double  allow- 
ance of  grog  on  that  day.  Nothing  of  the  kind,  how- 
ever, took  place,  and  the  "  glorious  Fourth  "  was  treated 
with  as  little  ceremony  as  though  there  were  no  associa- 
tions of  patriotism,  speeches  ibr  Bunco mb,  militia  train- 
ings, encampments,  sprees,  fireworks,  gingerbread  and 
green  cherries  connected  with  it.  The  drum  beat  at  the 
usual  time  for  general  quarters.  The  sham  battle,  that 
day,  was,  if  anything,  a  little  more  arduously  contested 
than  usual  by  the  captain,  and  after  three  hours  and 
a  half  of  hard  work,  we  were  feasted  on  boiled  rice  and 
mahogany  bee0. 

There  are  no  holidays  at  sea.  If  you  are  in  port  they 
are  duly  kept  up,  but  at  sea,  no  attention  is  paid  to  them. 

A  few  weeks  of  fair  winds  brought  us  into  the  latitude 
of  Kio,  and  we  stood  in  toward  the  land,  from  which  OUT 
distance  was  inconsiderable.  Three  days  longer,  and  we 
would  be  in,  it  was  said.  Oh  !  what  a  long  three  days 
they  were,  to  be  sure.  In  them,  too,  a  great  deal  was  to 
be  done.  The  chafing  gear  was  taken  off,  holidays 
(white  spots)  on  the  rigging  carefully  touched  up  with 
tar,  boats'  gripes  loosened,  topgallant  and  royal  yards 
prepared  for  being  sent  down  when  we  got  in,  the  anchors 
got  off  the  bows,  and  chains  bent  to  them,  brass  railings 
around  the  poop  got  on  deck  and  secured,  and,  on  the  last 
two  mornings  preceding  our  entry  into  Rio,  clean  hammocks 
bent,  and  the  dirty  ones  scrubbed.  At  last,  when  I  had 
gotten  tired-out  with  waiting,  we  were  electrified  by  the 
eager  cry  of  "  land-ho!"  from  the  topmast  head.  It  was 
four  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  25th  of  July.  Before 
sunset  we  could  plainly  discern  the  land  from  deck,  rising' 


LAND- HO!      CAPE      PRIO.  115 

from  the  ocean,  in  little  blue  hills  surrounding  a*i  immense 
peak,  which  at  dusk  loomed  up  against  the  sky  as  thorgh 
suspended  immediately  above  our  heads.  This  was  Cape 

the  first  Ian  I  made  by  vessels  apjr  ailing  Rio  de 

Janeiro,  from  the  north.     It  would  be  useless  for  me  to 

ipt  to  describe  the  interest  and  delight  with  which  I 

be  first  time  viewed  a  foreign  shore.     I  remained  on 

deck  nearly  all  the  first  watch,  although  it  was  my  turn 

to  sleep  and  was  content  to  gaze  at  the  great  t>eak  looming 

up  against  t!ic  sky,  looking  like  an  enormous  black  cloud 

ready  to  precipitate  itself  upon  us,  in  thunder,  lightning 

and  rain.     We  lay  hove  to  nearly  all  night,  and  tit  early 

dawn  filled  away,  and  stood  in  with  a  light  but  fair 

<  •.     We  rapidly  neared  the  land,  and  at  noon  were 

of  Cape  Frio  becalmed  at  the  entrance  of  the  Bay 

<>f  Rio  de  Janeiro.    The  sea-breeze  set  in  shortly,  ani  we 

up  the  bay,  with  all  sail  set,  studding-sails  and  all, 
gliding  along  about  three  knots  an  hour.  Turning  around 

in«  I  in  a  northerly  direction,  we  were  directly  land- 
locked, and  safe  from  any  possible  storms  without.  The 
view  which  was  now  spread  before  us,  seemed  to  me 
delightful  beyond  conception.  rlhe  abrupt  grandeur  of 

enery,  so  unlike  anything  1  had  ever  before  beheld ; 

mountains  piled  upon  mountains,  peak  rising  above  peak, 

until,  in  the  far  distance,  the  highest  seemed  lost  in  the 

\E  :  immediately  before  us  the  immense  mount,  called, 

•  •omit  of  its  pe  uliar  shape,  the  Sugar-loaf,  rearing 
its  b;  iij)  against  the  sky;  the  t'.vo  whit?  forts, 

1  like  sentinels  on  cither  side  of  the  entrance  of  the 

harbor ;   the   curiously   rigged    shallops   and    polaecas, 

ping  la/ilv  j.a>t  <>n  the  limpid  tide;  the  little  fishing 


116  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

boats,  scattered  here  and  there  about  the  bay,  with  theii 
immense  lug  sails  fluttering  languidly  in  the  breeze ;  the 
white  houses,  dotted  all  along  the  shore,  surrounded  by, 
and  peeping  out  of  umbrageous  groves  of  oranges  and 
limes — all  this  variety,  on  which  to  feast  my  eager  eyes, 
s.emed  so  strange,  and  withal  so  beautiful,  that  even  as 
I  gazed,  I  almost  fancied  myself  transported  into  fairy 
land.  The  day  was  su:-h  a  one  as  is  to  be  experienced 
only  in  the  tropics.  There  was  that  peculiar  softly -bright 
haze  or  film,  seemingly  surrounding  and  enveloping  every 
object  in  view,  not  hiding,  but  only  tempering  the  fierce 
splendor  of  an  almost  vertical  sun,  and  infusing  all  nature, 
animate  and  inanimate,  with  a  mellow,  lazy  tranquility, 
which  affects  also  beholders,  and  gives  one  a  realization 
of  that  doke  for  nienfe  feeling  which  is  so  highly  enjoyed 
by  the  inhabitants  of  these  countries.  He  who  has  not 
voyaged  within  the  tropi?s,  can  have  no  conception  of  the 
luxury  of  this  feeling  of  quiet  languor,  nor  of  the 
circumstances  which  cause  it.  To  us,  who  came  under 
this  influence  with  the  fierce  blasts  of  the  north-east  trade 
winds  si  ill  fresh  upon  our  cheeks,  it  was  delicious.  Our 
crew  seemed  changed.  Every  harsh  or  discordant  noise 
was  hushed;  the  violence  of  the  most  uproarious  was 
tempered  or  stilled.  As  we  glided  along  smoothly,  over 
:he  rippling  waters  of  the  bay,  all  hands,  dressed  in  snowy 
white,  crowding  the  upper  deck,  the  universal  stillness 
was  made  only  more  striking  by  the  low  hum  of  many 
voices,  or  the  occasional  abrupt  shout  of  the  commander 
standing  on  the  bows,  conning  the  vessel,  and  the  sharj 
reply  of  the  quartermaster  at  the  wheel,  to  his  "  star 
board,"  "  port,"  or  "  steady."  Even  the  boisterous  old 


TI1EBAY.  117 

boatswain,  whose  delight  it  was  to  make  a  din  in  which 
no  other  voice  but  his  could  be  heard,  succumbed  to  the 
quieting  influences  of  the  hour,  and  was  seen  going  about 
decks  communicating  his  orders  and  directions  in  subdued 

ones,  and  with  a  dulcet  voice — wonder-inspiring  to  us, 
who  had  heard  heretofore  only  his  fierce  terror-inspiring 
sea  tones. 

We  dipped  our  colors  on  passing  the  forts  which 
stand  upon  two  projecting  points,  guardians  of  the 
harbor,  and  with  a  freshening  breeze  ran  quickly  up  to 
our  anchorage.  All  hands  were  at  their  stations  foi 
taking  in  sail.  Every  stitch  of  canvas  was  set,  studding 
sails  alow  and  aloft,  on  both  sides.  It  had  been  deter- 
mined to  take  in  all  sail,  and  moor  the  ship  at  once,  an 
evolution  which,  if  well  performed,  would  gain  us  ciedit 
as  a  smart  set ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  if  botched,  certain 
to  involve  us  in  inextricable  confusion  and  disgrace.  But 
here  we  are;  the  commander  comes  quickly  aft,  to  take 
charge,  the  officers  report  to  him  everything  clear  in  their 
different  departments,  he  gives  a  scrutinizing  glan.e  aloft, 
and  then  stands  silently  awaiting  the  signal  from  the 
captain,  who,  with  finger  on  chart,  is  waiting  for  the 
vessel  to  run  up  to  the  berth  he  has  chosen  for  her.  AVe 
are  now  at  the  anchoring  ground.  Before  us  is  spread 
panorama  of  ships  of  all  nations,  their  colors  flut- 
tering in  the  breeze ;  beyond  them  lies  the  city,  arrayed 
in  snowy  dazzling  white. 

A  nod  from  the  captain,  and : 
>tand  by  to  take  in  sail,"  gently  roars  the  commandei 

hiough  his  speaking-trumpet.     "  Stand  "by  your  tacks. 


118  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

sheets,  halyards,  and  braces."     The  crew  suddenly  start 
into  lively  activity. 

"  Haul  iu.  all  your  studding-sails — down  royals — top- 
gallantsails — up  courses — settle  away  your  topsail  hal- 
yards— braces  there,  quartermasters — sheets — clew  him 
up  lively,  men." 

In  but  little  longer  time  than  it  takes  to  give  the 
orders,  evcty  sail  is  hauled  to  the  yard,  ready  to  be 
furled  at  the  word. 

"  Let  go  the  starboard  anchor." 

Plash  goes  the  anchor,  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms 
of  chain  cable  thundering  through  the  hawsehole.  The 
chain  is  out;  the  other  anchor  is  dropped  under  foot, 
half  of  the  first  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms  hove  in, 
and  the  ship  lies  moored  midway  between  her  anchors. 

"All  hands  fur}  sail,'*  pipes  the  boatswain,  who  has 
recovered  all  hi°  former  voice. 

"Lay  aloft,  topmen  —  lower  and  topgallant  yardmen 
aloft.  ' 

Five  hundred  men  spring  eagerly  up  the  rigging,  and 
cluster  together  on  the  yards,  and  close  in  to  the  masts. 

"  Lay  out  and  fur} ;"  and  the  yards  are  suddenly 
manned,  clear  to  the  yardarm,  many  in  their  haste  run- 
ning out  on  top,  in  place  of  clambering  out  on  the  foot- 
ropes,  and  almost  before  the  order  is  out  of  the  officer's 
mouth,  the  great  piles  of  canvas  are  snugly  rolled  up  and 
fastened  to  the  yards. 

We  took  in  and  furled  all  sails,  and  moored  the  ship 
in  eight  minutes,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  the  decks  were 
cleared  up  and  swept  down,  the  yards  squared,  the  rig 
ging  flemished  down  on  deck,  and  everything  as  quiet 


C  0  M  I  N  G     T  0     A  N  C  II  0  R  .  lib 

Mini  orderly  as  though  we  had  been  lying  at  the  anchor- 
age a  month. 

Now.  thought  I,  I'll  have  a  better  look  than  I  could 
get  while  under  weigh,  at  the  harbor,  and  shipping,  and 
and  accordingly,  I  cast  my  eyes  aloft  to  pick  out 
the  most  convenient  place  in  which  to  perch  myself  fo 
that  purpose.  But  here  I  was  doomed  to  disappointment. 
Strict  orders  were  immediately  issued  that  no  one  should 
show  his  head  above  the  hammock  rail.  The  poop  and 
forecastle  even  were  forbidden  ground,  and  I  was  reduced, 
in  common  with  seven  hundred  other  anxious  souls,  to  the 
miserable  shift  of  taking  a  peep  at  our  surroundings 
through  a  port-hole,  by  whL-h  process  we  were  able  to 
train  about  as  much  information  concerning  the  town  and 
harbor,  as  one  would  be  likely  to  get  of  the  general  ap- 
IMTI ranee  of  a  room,  by  examining  it  through  the  keyhole 
of  the  door. 

A  shrill  blast  of  the  boatswain's  call,  followed  by  a 

shout  of, 

11  Where  are  you,  side  boys?"  admonished  me  that  1 
06,  and  I  hurried  to  the  starboard  gangway,  just  in 
time  to  swing  the  man-ropes  to  a  Brazilian  officer,  cap- 
tain of  the  port,  who  had  come  alongside  in  a  shore  boat, 
rowed  by  six  men,  whom  I  guessed,  at  first  glance,  from 
their  long,  lank,  sinewy  fingers,  and  the  deep  ebony  hue 
of  their  skin,  to  be  real  Africans.  The  officer  was 
ved  at  the  gangway  by  the  commander,  and  on  the 
poop  by  the  captain.  He  came  on  board  to  receive  any 
iv port  the  captain  had  to  make,  and  to  offer  the  hospi- 
ta  lit  its  of  the  port,  to  our  ship,  and  finally,  to  make 
arrangements  about  saluting  next  day.  His  business 


120  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

was  transacted  in  a  few  minutes,  and  he  returned  to  his 
boat  and  to  the  shore.  I  watched  them  as  they  pulled 
toward  the  landing  stairs.  The  boat  was  very  long  in 
proportion  to  her  width,  and  heivily  fastened,  apparently. 
Over  the  entire  afterpart  a  thick  awning  was  spread, 
nder  which,  on  cushions,  reclined  the  officer.  Abaft 
was  the  cockswain's  box,  in  which  was  perched  a  minute 
specimen  of  Ethiopia,  who  steered  the  boat.  She  was 
propelled  by  means  of  long  sweeps,  the  crew  standing  up 
and  leaning  far  aft  at  each  pull ;  and  then,  having  put 
the  blades  of  their  sweeps  in  the  water,  letting  their 
whole  weights  come  back  on  the  oar,  pulling  until  they 
sank  back  into  their  seats — rising  at  each  pull,  and 
repeating  the  maneuver.  It  seemed  to  me  a  novel  and 
rather  labo.ious  way  of  getting  through  the  water,  but  I 
iound  it  to  be  the  methol  universally  practiced,  in  the 
Brazilian  boats. 

No  sooner  was  the  anchor  down,  than  the  sergeant  of 
marines  was  busy  placing  sentries  at  the  gangways,  lar- 
board and  starboard,  and  on  the  bows.  The  office  of 
these  sentries  is  to  keep  off  shore  boats,  unless  they  have 
special  business,  of  which  notice  is  ^iven  to  the  officer  of 
the  deck ;  to  prevent  the  smuggling  on  board  of  liquor 
and  other,  contraband  articles,  and  also,  to  act  as  checks 
on  any  attempts  on  the  part  of  the  sailors  to  make  their 
esjape  fiom  the  vessel.  They  are  on  guard  night  and 
day,  and  have  a  laborious  and  thankless  task  of  it. 
Of  course,  the  marines  perform  this  duty. 

The  yards  being  squared  and  all  things  made  snug 
and  clear,  alow  and  aloft,  we  were  piped  to  supper. 
During  supper,  the  commodore,  accompanied  by  his 


L IF  KIN      PORT.  121 

secretary,  went  ashore,  in  a  shore  b  at.  After  supper,  a 
few  men  were  dispatched  aloft  to  see  tj  getting  the  top- 
gallant and  royal  yards  ready  for  coming  do^n  on  deck. 
Below,  the  immense  yard-ropes  were  carei'u  ly  coiled  down, 
ready  for  slacking  down  tripping-lines  and  down-hauls  were 
manned,  and  soon  all  was  in  readiness  for  sunstt,  which 
is  the  time  chcs.n  for  such  evolutions  as  this.  The  band 
gathered  on  the  larboard  side  of  the  poop;  the  ship's 
drummers  and  fifers  assembled  on  the  quarter-deck ;  the 
men,  all  but  one  on  each  mast  came  down  from  aloft ; 
and  the  whole  ship  again  for  a  few  minutes  resumed  her 
air  of  quiet  and  lifelessness.  regarded  from  without. 

"All  hands,  down  topgallant  and  royal  yards,"  from 
the  boatswain  and  his  mates,  called  everybody  on  de.k. 

Everything  is  ready — the  captain  raises  his  finger,  the 
drums  and  fifcS  play  several  lively  airs,  and  after  the 
last,  the  bass  drum  taps — one,  two,  three — and  at  the 
third  tap,  and  accompanying  roll  of  the  smaller  drums, 
the  ship's  colors  are  hauled  down,  the  topgallant  and 
royal  yards  swing  from  horizontal  to  perpendicular,  as  by 
magic,  and  are  swiftly  lowered  to  the  deck,  amid  a  long- 
dniwu  trill  on  the  boatswain's  call.  The  band  no*  plajs 
Hail  Columbia,  and  a  number  of  other  tunes;  the  men 
unbend  the  sails  from  the  yards  just  sent  down,  make 
them  up,  mark  them,  and  deposit  them  in  the  sail  locker ; 
the  yards  are  triced  up  in  the  lower  rigging ;  the  yard- 
ropes  laid  against  the  mast,  so  as  not  to  show  conspicu- 
ously ;  the  rigging  is  coiled  down,  and  all  is  finished. 

At  quai  ters,  word  was  passed  that  the  crews  of  the 
two  market-boatti  were  to  be  in  readiness  at  four  o'clock 
lu-xt  iiioniiii'j-  t<>  go  u>hoR>  \\ith  th"  stewards.  At  dn  k, 


122  M  A  N  -  0  ¥  -  W  A  II     L  I  F  K  : 

the  hammocks  were  piped  down,  and  then  all  hands  con- 
gregated about  decks  and  talked  over  the  pleasant  day, 
discussed  the  probability  of  our  getting  "  liberty  "  (that 
is,  leuve  to  spend  a  day  or  two  on  shore)  in  this  place, 
and  those  of  them  who  had  been  here  before  spun  yarns 
of  past  adventures.  Among  others,  1  heard  much  men- 
tion Oif  one  Portuguese  Joe,  a  bum-boatman,  who  had  the 
name  of  being  a  most  dangerous  fellow  to  have  dealings 
with.  Bum-boatmen  are  persons  who  bring  alongside, 
daily,  supplies  of  fruits  and  various  shore  delicacies,  for 
the  use  of  such  of  the  crew  as  care  to  indulge  in  luxu- 
ries of  that  kind,  and  labor  under  no  pecuniary  disabili- 
ties to  prevent  the  fulfillment  of  their  desires.  Of  Por- 
tuguese Joe  it  was  said,  that  he  had  taken  the  lives  of 
several  man-of-war's  men,  who  had  either  cheated  or  in- 
sulted him,  and  that  he  made  free  use  of  poison  in  deal- 
ing with  such  of  his  acquaintances  as  became  obnoxious 
to  him.  These  allegations  were  in  all  likelihood  true 
enough,  for  the  lower  classes  of  Biazilians  are  notoriously 
revengeful  and  treacherous,  and  the  stilletto  and  the 
poisoned  cup  are  in  common  use  among  them.  But,  true 
or  false,  I  found  that  they  di  1  not  i'ail  to  secure  for  Mr. 
Portuguese  Joe  (the  only  name  I  ever  heard  for  him) 
most  unbounded  respect,  and  a  perfect  immunity  from 
the  depredations  not  unfrequently  committed  on  bum- 
boatmen — thus  proving  that  there  may  be  advantages  in 
having  a  bad  name. 

At  nine  o'clock  (two  bells) ,  came  tattoo,  which  closes 
the  waking  day  of  a  vessel  of  war,  in  port.  The  drums 
and  fifes  were  again  put  in  requisition,  and  after  playing 
a  number  of  tunes,  precisely  at  nine,  commenced  the 


LIFE     IN     PORT.  123 

grand  roulade,  at  the  third  roll  a  cannon  being  fired  off, 
while  the  bell  is  at  the  same  time  struck  two.  A  per- 
fect silence  succeeds  the  din  of  the  kettle  drums,  inter- 
rupted after  a  while  by  the  voice  of  the  master-at-arms 
ordering  some  one  to  go  to  his  hammock.  After  gun-fire 
no  one  is  allowed  out  of  his  hammock,  except  such  few 
persons  as  are  on  duty.  Neither  is  any  loud  talking  or 
other  disturbance  permitted.  All  the  lights  in  the  ship 
are  extinguished  by  the  master-at-arms,  and  the  fact 
reported  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  and  the  stillness  of 
slumber  rests  upon  the  ship. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LIFE  in  Harbor  —  Bumboats —  At  Sea  again  —  What  Sailors 
Eat  and  How  Victuals  are  cooked  —  The  First  Flogging  on 
Board. 

AT  four  o'clock  next  morning  we  were  awakened  by 
the  firing  off  of  a  gun,  seconded  by  a  din  on  the  drums, 
similar  to  that  of  the  evening  before.  Shortly  after,  the 
bugler  called  away  the  crews  of  the  market-boats ;  at 
five,  "  all  hands"  were  called,  and  the  boatswain's  mates 
went  round  admonishing  every  man  to  lash  his  hammock 
neatly,  "  seven  turns,  put  on  square,  and  hauled  tight." 
Coming  up  the  mizzen-hatch  with  my  hammock,  I  found 
the  commander  there,  examining  each  one  as  it  was 
c  arried  past,  sending  some  back  to  try  it  over.  Now  the 
last  man  on  deck  with  his  hammock  is  blacklisted,  so 
that  there  is  usually  a  punishment  consequent  upon  a 
neglect,  or  carelessness.  As  soon  as  the  hammocks  were 
stowed,  the  crew  commenced  holystoning  the  decks,  the 
chief  boatswain's  mate  meantime  calling  over  the  names 
of  all  on  the  blacklist,  and  apportioning  to  them  the  dirty 
wo.k  of  the  morning.  Two  parties  were  sent  over  the 
side,  on  catamarans,  with  slush,  sand  and  canvas,  to  scour 
the  line  of  copper  which  appears  just  above  the  water's 
edge.  A  catamaran  is  a  structure  composed  of  six 
air-tight  casks  lashed  together,  three  in  a  row,  with  a  few 


T  II  K      H  L  A  r  K      L  I  S  T      M  K  N  .  1  25 

r<> iL'h  planks  thrown  loosely  over  for  a  deck  ;  of  course 
the  water  washes  over  it  continually,  and  sometimes,  when 
there  is  a  strong  tide,  or  a  stiff  breeze,  it  is  a  matter  of 
soi n  •  difficulty  to  maintain  a  foothold  on  the  crazy  struc- 
ture. Others  were  seen  suspende 1  on  the  large  copper 
funnel  or  smoke-pipe,  which  served  t )  carry  off  clear  al 
the  smoke  of  the  galley  fires.  "  Charley  Noble,"  as  this 
funnel  was  familiarly  nicknamed,  had  his  face  scoured  as 
bright  as  a  new  doll's,  every  morning.  Others  blacked 
stancheons,  and  cleaned  guns  and  gun  carriages.  Holy- 
stoning continued  until  six  o'clock,  when  the  sand  was 
scrubbed  and  washed  off,  the  de  ks  swabbed  dry,  and 
carefully  swept  down,  and  then  all  bright-work  cleaned. 
"While  the  resfc  of  the  crew  were  washing  the  decks,  we 
side-bays  were  busied  scraping  and  scouring  the  side- 
•r.  reaching  from  a  large  grating  at  the  water's  edge 
to  the  upper  deck. 

In  harbor,  the  starboard  is  considered  the  side  of  honor. 
Thus  that  side  of  the  quarter-deck  is  sacred  from 
intrusion  even  of  the  officers,  when  not  on  duty.  Officers 
come  on  board,  or  leave  the  ship  from  the  starboard  side. 
That  side  is  furnished  with  a  convenient  ladder,  while 
on  the  other  there  are  only  a  few  cleats,  as  supports  to 
the  feet  in  the  labor  of  climbing  up.  Marketing^ 
(1  run  ken  sailors,  and  provisions  of  all  sorts,  are  taken  on 
b»»urd  from  the  larboard  side,  and  bumboats,  and  other 
unofli  ial  shore  boats  are  received  there. 

When  the  decks  were  dried,  and  the  bright-work 
:s  were  spn-a  \  '  aft  :  at  eight 

o'<  loi-k.  tin'  <T-W  were  piped  to  breakfast,  and  ordered  to 
tin -nx dves,  in  white  frocks  and  trowsers,  and 


126  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

white  hats."  At  nine,  the  colors  were  hoisted,  to  the 
sound  of  drums  and  fifes,  and  the  crew  inspected  at 
quarters,  and  then  the  regular  day's  work  was  begun. 
The  boats  were  sent  ashore  in  charge  of  officers,  and  on 
various  errands.  The  boatswain  took  a  good  look  at  the 
outside  of  the  vessel,  his  point  of  view  being  a  boat,  in 
which  he  was  pulled  around. 

The  holders  were  set  to  work  preparing  the  water 
tanks,  emptied  on  the  passage  out,  for  refilling.  The 
fore  and  maintop  men  were  busied  clearing  away  the 
large  boats  which  are  carried  amidships  at  sea,  prepara- 
tory to  their  being  hoisted  out ;  and  the  balance  of  the 
men  and  boys  looked  on,  or  peeped  out  through  the  port- 
holes, at  a  shore  which  it  was  not  likely  they  would  be 
permitted  to  visit  in  propria  personce,  however  much 
they  might  long  for  that  privilege. 

For  some  time  before  breakfast  was  piped,  I  had  noticed 
a  number  of  large  boats  crowding  around  the  larboard 
gangway,  but  not  permitted  by  the  sentry  to  touch  the 
vessel.  As  soon  as  it  was  breakfast-time  these  boats 
hauled  alongside  ;  after  having  their  contents  inspected 
by  one  of  the  assistant-surgeons,  to  see  that  they  con- 
tained nothing  deleterious  to  health,  and  by  the  master- 
at-arms,  to  prevent  the  importation  of  anything  obnoxious 
to  sobriety,  the  word  was  passed  that  the  bumboats  wore 
alongside,  and  immediately  a  crowd  besieged  the  narrow 
gangway  anxious  to  examine  their  contents,  and  purchase 
an  addition  to  the  meagre  ship's  allowance.  I  was  the 
kijky  possessor  of  a  silver  dollar,  sent  aboard  to  me  in 
Philadelphia  by  a  considerate  friend,  and  determined  to 
invest  a  portion  of  my  capital  in  fruit.  Getting  into  the 


A      V  I  P  I  T     TO     T  1!  K      B  TJ  M  I)  0  A  T  8  .  1 27 

• 

boats,  I  found  there  for  sale,  oranges,  bananas,  cocoa- 
nuts,  fried  fish,  boiled  eggs,  soft  tack,  (the  ship  name 
t  bread,)  and  a  stii-ky  preparation  of  guavas, 
wrapped  up  in  plantain  leaves,  and  tasting  not  unlike  a 
mixture  of  three  parts  maple  sugar,  and  one  part  clean 
sand.  This  was  known  by  the  euphonious  title  of  Johnny 
K'X'L'f't.  and  was  in  great  demand  among  the  boys.  The 
boats  themselves  were  the  scenes  of  most  dire  confusion. 
The  articles  kept  for  sale  were  piled  away  in  bow  and 
stern,  the  middle  of  the  boat  being  left  as  a  gangway,  or 
passige  for  customers.  There  was  a  terrible  din,  every 
one  speaking,  or  rather,  hallooing  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 
The  boats  were  continually  rolling  from  side  to  side,  as 
those  on  board  changed  places,  and  not  unfre!]uently  one 
would  go  gunwale  under,  and  ship  water,  to  the  dismay 
of  the  owner,  and  the  delight  of  mischievous  sailors.  In 
the  stern  of  the  boat  nearest  the  vessel,  sat  the  notorious 
]'<»•( 1 1 gue.se  Joe,  presiding  with  the  air  of  a  Jew  king 
»»\\T  "the  delicacies  of  the  season."  After  waiting  a 
reasonable  length  of  time,  with  the  idea  that  the  crowd 
would  either  disperse  or  grow  more  orderly,  but  seeing  no 
symptoms  of  either,  T  mustered  up  all  my  courage,  and, 
money  in  my  mouth,  (for  sailors  wear  no  poc-kets,)  rushed 
into  the  crowd,  determining  to  be  as  reckless  as  any  one. 
Falling  over  a  waister  with  a  bosom  full  of  oranges,  and 
a  bunch  of  bananas  in  each  hand,  and  leaving  him  on 
his  back  in  the  bottom  of  Portuguese  Joe's  boat,  I  rushed 
headlong  into  the  farther  skiff  of  the  row,  taking 
ad\ antai:i>  of  the  swinging  or  rolling  of  the  boats  to  irivc 
additional  impetus  to  my  jumps.  I  succeeded  at  length 
in  reaching  the  desiml  plm-r :  not.  howrvrr.  without 


128  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

having  been  instrumental  in  the  downfall  of  more  t'.^n 
one  sturdy  tar.  But  "  every  one  for  himself"  was  tne 
ruling  motto,  and  I  thought,  not  unreasonably,  that  if 
they  could  stand  it  I  could.  Taking  fast  hold  cf  a 
thwart,  to  prevent  being  pushed  overboard  in  the  general 
confusion,  I  now  priced  the  articles  exposed  for  sale. 
Dumps  are  the  prevailing  currency  of  Brazilian  bum- 
boats.  What  may  be  the  legal  tenders  of  the  empire  iu 
general,  thanks  to  the  care  with  which  we  were  preserved 
from  the  deleterious  influences  of  the  shore,  I  am  unable 
to  this  day  to  say — but  the  dump,  a  piece  of  copper,  of 
the  value  of  two  cents,  was  the  coin  by  which  the  worth 
of  everything  in  the  boats  was  estimated.  For  five  of 
these,  or  ten  cents,  I  received  about  two  dozen  oranges, 
a  bunch  of  bananas,  and  a  small  loaf  of  soft  tack,  and 
an  additional  dump  procured  me  a  chunk  of  the  much- 
prized  johnny  kacka.  On  presenting  my  dollar  for  pay- 
ment, I  received  in  exchange  no  less  than  forty-four  of 
the  villainous  dumps,  accompanied  l>y  a  grin  from  the 
salesman,  whijh  said  as  plain  as  could  be : 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  a  good  time  getting  on  board 
with  your  load." 

Tying  the  money  into  a  little  handkerchief,  and  put- 
ting that  with  my  purchases  into  by  bosom,  (the  place 
where  the  man-of-war  sailor  deposits  everything  which  a 
"  land'iubber  "  would  carry  in  o  basket  or  in  his  pockets), 
I  followed  pell-mell  in  the  wahe  or  a  great  broad-shoul- 
dered fellow,  who  was  just  making  his  way  back,  and 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  deck  v  ithout  an  accident,  except 
that,  on  looking  for  my  johrnv-kacka,  I  found  the  greater 
portion  of  it  smeared  on  my  under-flannel.  I  found,  on 


A     VISIT     TO    THK     BUM  BOATS.  120 

inquiry,  that  breakfast-time  was  over,  and  was  obliged  to 
<i  f-T  enjoying  my  purchases  until  after  quarters.  Hur- 
riedly depositing  everything,  oranges,  bananas,  money, 
and  all,  in  the  mess-chest,  I  slipped  on  my  clean  white 
and  trowsers,  and  stowed  my  bag  in  the  looker  just 
:» -  the  drum  beat. 

After  quarters,  I  called  a  chum  of  mine,  and  we  two 
wont  to  our  mess-chest,  and  there,  in  company  with  the 
took  "  a  regular  blow  out,"  not  leaving  <*  vestige  of 
my  purchase  in  view.  I  enjoyed  the  fruits  amazingly. 
< ) ranges,  such  as  are  sold  in  the  confe3tionaries  at  home, 
are  but  as  dirt  compared  to  the  golden-ripe  sweet  frudt 
which  was  here  brought  us.  The  banana  I  had  never 
Before,  but  it  needed  only  the  experience  gained  by 
allowing  one  to  melt  away  in  my  mouth,  to  assure  me  of 
the  fart  that  its  equal  is  scarcely  to  be  found  among  all 
the  luscious  fruits  of  the  tropics. 

But  enough  of  bum-boats  and  gormandizing.  At 
'1  vi -ii  o'clock,  we  saluted  the  Brazilian  flag,  the  salute 
being  returned  from  the  fort  in  the  inner  harbor.  The 
market-boats,  in  the  morning,  had  brought  on  board  a 
day'<  allowance  of  fresh  meat  and  vegetables  for  the 
rn-\\  i  the  fore  and  hind  quarters  of  two  large  bullocks, 
and  s  vend  hampers  of  sweet  potatoes  and  other  greens) , 
and  of  this  the  ship's  cook  was  now  preparing  a  fragrant 
the  delicious  odor  of  which  pervaded  the  whole 
ship,  causing  us  to  long  for  the  arrival  of  the  dinner 
hour. 

'I'll*1  afternoon  was  set  apart  for  getting  up  tackles 
with  wlii  h  to  hoist  out  the  launch  and  cutters.  This 
'I'M  10.  and  the  decks  swept,  we  were  left  at  liberty 
9 


130  M  A  N  -  o  P  -  w  A  K    LIFE: 

to  amuse  ourselves  in  whatsoever  way  best  suited  ca  -h 
one's  peculiar  idiosyncrasy,  until  supper- time.  Then 
there  was  the  shifting  into  blue  clothing  for  the  nighi 
and  the  morrow's  washing  decks,  after  which  came  quar- 
ters, sundown,  and  tattoo,  as  detailed  of  the  preceding 
day. 

In  port,  when  the  weather  is  sufficiently  warm  to  allow 
of  it,  all  hands  are  generally  made  to  dress  in  ^hite. 
But  the  white  clothing  is  only  worn  from  breakfast  until 
supper-time,  a  part  of  the  day  during  which  the  vessel 
is  open  to  the  inspection  of  visitors. 

Slue  is  the  working  dress  of  the  navy;  white,  its 
**  holiday  rig."  Your  true  man-of-war's  man  is  very  par- 
ticular about  his  clothing.  There  is  no  greater  dandy 
than  he.  No  Broadway  swell  pays  more  attention  to  the 
cut  of  his  unmentionables,  the  set  of  his  collar,  the  tie  of 
his  neckerchief,  or  the  spotless  luster  of  his  pumps  tha:i 
does  Jack.  There  is  a  multitude  of  curiously- wrought 
stitching  on  the  broad  collar  and  nea-t  bosom  of  \\\&  frock 
(Anglice,  shirt) .  Infinite  pains  have  been  taken  to  give 
his  tarpaulin  that  marvelous  gloss,  and  many  an  hour 
has  he  attitudinized  before  the  little  round  pocket  mir- 
ror, leaning  against  a  gun,  to  give  it  that  rakish  set. 
His  spotless  white  ducks  set  tight  about  the  hips,  and 
hang  loosely  at  the  bottom,  just  allowing  the  tips  of  a 
pair  of  patent-leather  pumps  to  peep  out  from  beneath 
their  ample  breadth.  See  him  with  his  blue  collar 
turned  far  back  over  his  broad  shoulders  exposing  a 
manly  and  well-turned  neck ;  his  hat  pressed  jauntily 
over  his  left  eyebrow  ;  one  hand  carelessly  resting  on  hi» 


RIO     DE     JANEIRO.  131 

hip,  and  you  would  scarcely  need  to  be  told  that  a  true 
"blue  jacket  "  was  before  you. 

Fur  several  successive  days,  the  larger  boats  were  now 
employed  in  bringing  off  water  and  some  few  provisions. 
The  water  was  brought  aboard  in  large  casks,  which 
were  towed  ashore  empty,  but  tightly  bunged,  then  rolled 
up  to  the  watering  p]ace,  filled,  rolled  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  fastened  together  in  the  form  of  a  raft,  for 
convenience  in  towing.  The  watering  parties,  which  con- 
sisted of  the  crews  of  the  launch  and  the  first  cutter, 
were  the  only  ones  of  the  ship's  company  who  got  their 
feet  on  dry  land,  here.  The  watering  place  was  situated 
in  a  portion  of  the  harbor  opposite  to  the  city.  The 
little  rivulet  where  the  casks  were  filled  ran  down  to  the 
through  an  orange  grove,  and  our  fellows  used  to 
biiiig  off  their  bosoms  full  of  the  golden  fruit,  as  tro- 
phi-.'S  of  the  shore. 

That  n>  one  was  allowed  to  £o  ashore  here  was  a  bitter 
disappointment  to  me,  who  had  come  to  see  ftxeign  lands 
— not  bargaining,  however,  for  so  distant  a  view  of  them 
\\"JLS  now  getting.  Had  there  been  the  least  oppor- 
tunity for  such  a  feat,  I  should  have  run  away  from  the 
ship  so  outrageous  did  it  seem  to  me  to  be  cooped  up 
within  the  wooden  walls  of  a  vessel,  within  sight  and 
of  so  much  that  was  grand,  and  beautiful,  and 
strau 

Rio  de  Janeiro  is  head-quarters  for  the  United  States 
r»ra/ii  Squadron,  and  as  it  is  a  convenient  harbor,  and 
used  as  a  calling  place  for  United  Stats  naval  ves- 
sels bound  to  other  stations,  our  government  has  there  a 
•'•us.  This  is  situated  on  a  little  isle  ic 


132  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

the  harbor,  called  Kat  Island,  and  is  under  charge  of  a 
United  States  officer,  it  was  from  this  store-house  that 
we  drew  our  provisions,  to  make  up  the  deficit  caused  by 
the  consumption  on  our  outward  passage. 

The  month  of  July  being  for  Brazil  the  dead  of  win- 
ter, it  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  weather  was  con- 
tinually as  fine  as  on  the  day  of  our  entrance  into  the 
harbor.  Indeed,  we  were  favored  with  but  two  or  three 
more  of  such  days  during  our  stay.  It  being  the  rainy 
season,  which  answers  to  our  winter,  there  was  more  or 
less  rain  every  day  or  night — not,  as  with  us,  preceded 
and  attended  by  dark,  lowering  clouds,  and  a  gloomy, 
leaden  sky,  but  coming  up  suddenly,  lasting  two,  three, 
or  four  hours,  and  then  clearing  off,  and  succeeded  by  a 
scorching  sun,  which  quickly  dried  up  all  the  superabun- 
dant moisture. 

Rio  seems  to  be  a  place  of  eternal  Sundays.  In  point 
of  fact,  from  three  to  four  days  in  every  week  are  saints' 
days,  on  which  occasions  vessels  of  war  of  all  nations 
are  expected  to  dress  up  with  all  the  colors  and  holiday 
gear  obtainable,  and  salute  the  Brazilian  ensign  waving 
over  the  palace,  near  the  water  side.  The  remaining 
days  are  generally  devoted  to  the  interchange  of  visits 
and  other  civilities  among  the  dignitaries  of  the  different 
fleets  which  always  crowd  this  noble  bay,  and,  of  course, 
on  such  occasions,  there 'is  again  a  din  of  saluting ;  so 
that  not  a  day  passes  when  the  harbor  does  not  resound 
with  salvos  in  honor  of  some  live  commodore  or  dead 
saint — their  value,  estimated  in  gunpowder,  being  about 
the  same. 

The  bum-boats,  which  had  been  so  terribly  besieged 


V  II  K  1'  A  R  I  N  0     FOR     SEA.     ,  1  .'j.^ 

on  our  first  arrival,  were  shortly  almost  deserted.  Jack's 
mn,,,'ii  was  gone.  It  takes  but  a  marvelously  short  time 
;  to  the  bottom  o?  an  outward-bound  tar's  purse, 
and  we  were  tain  to  content  ourselves  with  casting  wish- 
ful eyes  at  luxuries  whi  -h,  like  the  apples  of  Tantalus,, 

1  just  beyond  reach. 

r  three  weeks'  sojourn  in  Rio — or,  rather,  m  the 
harbor — preparations  were  commen:ed  for  going  to  sea 
once  more.     The  light  sails  were  bent ;  chafing  gear,  sea- 
ts, and  other  rigging,  laid  aside  or  taken  down  out 
Ait  on  our  entrance  into  harbor,  were  again  put  on. 
supplies  of  fruit,  poultry,  and  pigs  came  on  board, 
f»r  the  use  of  the  officers  (poor  Jack  is  only  allowed  to 
;.t   .-u  h  delicacies),   and,  finally,   the  boats  were 
I   in   and  lashed — and  we  were  •'  ready  for  sea." 
-'liUny-tluy.  although  perhaps   settled  on  for  weeks 
urefully  concealed  from  all  on  board,  even 
tli  •  11  u  tenants  and  other  minor  officers  not  being  permit- 
know  it.     Neither  is  the  crew  supposed  to  know 
(although  it  generally  leaks  out,  somehow)  whither  the 
vessel  is  to  proceed  next.     The  reason  of  this  secrecy,  I 
do  not  know,  except  it  is  simply  this,  that  the  crew  have 
no  business  to  know,  and  therefore  are  not  informed.    At 
last,  "  all  hands  "  were  called  one  evening  to  "  unmoor 
ship,"  the  commodore  came  on  board  late  at  night,  and 
morning  we  got  under  weigh,  and  bade  good-bye 
to  Rio. 

<le  Janeiro  Bay  lies  in  latitude  twenty-five  degrees 

and  twrnty-ei.L'ht  min.  S.,and  longitude  forty-two  degrees 

ix  inin.  W.      It  is  a  vast  natural  basin,  surrounded 

on  all  sides  by  l»fty  peaks,  and  amply  large  enough  to 


134  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

accommodate  within  its  waters  all  the  navies  of  the 
world.  Here  they  might  ride  securely,  land-locked,  and 
safe  from  every  srale  that  blows.  For  splendor  of  scenery, 
Rio  Bay,  and  its  environs  is  unsurpassed  by  any  other 
in  the  world.  It  has,  indeed,  been  thought  infeiior  in 
this  last  respect  to  two  others — those  of  Naples  and  Con 
stantiiiople —  but  Mr.  Fennimore  Cooper,  a  competent 
judge,  gives  the  palm  to  Eio. 

We  proceeded  to  sea  with  a  light  but  fair  breeze,  which 
kept  by  us  until  we  struck  the  south-east  trades,  at  the 
end  of  the  second  week  out.  Once  fairly  at  sea,  the  old 
routine  of  ssa  life  recommenced.  White  clothes,  which 
we  had  woin  daily,  in  harbor,  were  laid  aside,  and  blue 
dungaree  resumed,  and  with  it  tho  every-day  existence 
of  whL-h  that  species  of  cotton  cl  Ah  seems  to  be  a  pecu- 
liar and  universal  type.  Through  the  kind  foresight  of 
the  commodore,  we  had  carried  out  with  us  a  supply  of 
fresh  beef  and  vegetables,  sufficient  to  last  the  crew  for 
two  days,  after  which  sea  rations  were  again  served  out 

As  I  have  not  before  given  any  account  of  these  sea 
rations,  it  will  be  well  enough  to  do  so  here  Each  indi- 
vidual on  board  ship,  from  the  commodore  to  the  messenger 
boy,  is  allowed  one  ration  per  day,  valued  at  six  dollars 
per  month.  In  this  matter  no  difference  is  made  by  rank, 
the  only  distinction  being  that  the  officers  are  allowed 
to  stop  their  rations,  and  take  the  value  in  money 
Instead,  with  which,  and  funds  contributed  from  their 
private  purses,  they  supply  their  larder — while  Jack  is 
Dbliged  to  take  the  provision  furnished  by  government. 
A.  ration  consists  of  one  pound  and  a  half  of  biscuit  per 
iay,  one  pint  of  beans  three  times  per  week,  three-fourths 


B  II  IP  *fl      A  L  1.0  \\    A  N  C  K.  l.>5 

of  a  pound  of  flour  and  two  ounces  of  raisins  twice  a 

half  a  pint  of  rice  twice  a  week,  one-fourth  of  a 
pound  each  of  butter  and  cheese,  a  gill  ea;h  of  molasses 
an  1  vinegar  twLe  a  week,  a  daily  allowance  of  either 
tea,  c  >fFee,  or  cocoa  (these  a;c  alternated),  one  and  a 
half  pcuods  of  beef  four  times  per  week,  one  and  one- 
fourth  pounds  of  pork  thrice  a  week,  and  half  a  gill  of 
grog  twice  a  day,  at  breakfast  and  dinner.  The  boys 
are  considerately  deprived  of  their  grog,  receiving  in 
lieu  thereof  the  sum  of  sixty  cents  per  month.  The 
existence  of  mess  cooks  has  been  before  alluded  to.  The 
berth-deck  is  the  chief  scene  of  their  labors.  There  the 
mess  chests  are  ranged  between  the  guns,  two  messes 
occupying  the  space  between  every  two  gun?.  There  are 
between  twelve  and  sixteen  men  in  each  mess,  who  have 
their  rations  served  out  in  common,  and  it  is  for  the  pur- 
p:'M-  of  receiving  the  provisions  from  the  purser's  steward, 
•i  ring  them  for  the  ship's  cook,  and  taking  them  of 
him  again  when  cooked,  that  a  mess  cook  is  found  neces- 
These,  however,  are  not  by  any  means  his  only 
8.  He  is  required  to  keep  the  place  about  his  mess, 
on  the  berth-deck,  in  an  extraordinary  state  of  cleanli- 
— to  keep  in  good  order  the  pots,  pans,  spoons,  and 

utensils  belonging  to  the  iness,  and  to  have  every 
art  irle  under  his  charge  ready  for  a  daily  inspection,  by  the 
first  lieutenant.  This  inspection  is  extremely  rigid.  rllie 
\ >rej>a rations  for  it  commence' daily  at  eleven  o'clok  :  the 
lids  of  the  mess  chests  are  taken  off,  exposing  the  inside 

thoiMiurh  examination;  the  various  tin  p  its  and 
pans,  l-n-iiily  MM. u red,  are  set  in  rows  on  the  inverted 

lid.  and  looker  doors  are  thrown  widely  open — every 


136  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

kind  of  concealment  being  strictly  forbidden.  At  seven 
bells,  half  past  eleven  o'clock,  the  cooks  stand  by  their 
mess  chests,  and  the  first  lieutenant,  accompanied  by  the 
master-at-arms,  passes  around.  He  has  on  his  hands,  for 
the  occasion,  white  cotton  gloves,  and  should  he,  in  rub- 
bing these  on  the  inside  of  any  tins,  or  on  any  portion  of 
the  gear,  get  them  soiled  with  grease  or  dirt,  woe  betide 
the  unfortunate  cook,  whose  organ  of  tidiness  has  lacked 
development — he  is  sure  to  be  paid  with  a  flogging  for 
the  lieutenant's  soiled  gloves.  The  boilers  in  which  the 
provisions  are  cooked,  are  subject  to  a  similar  daily  in- 
spection— made,  however,  by  the  doctor,  instead  of  the 
first  lieutenant.  The  coppers,  or  kettles,  in  which  the 
victuals  for  seven  hundred  men  are  prepared,  are.  as  may 
be  readily  imagined,  of  no  small  size.  On  our  ship 
there  were  three,  one  for  tea  or  coffee,  one  for  meat,  and 
another  for  rice  or  beans,  or  "  duff''1  Each  of  these 
divisions  was  six  feet  deep  by  four  feet  wide,  and  between 
five  and  six  long.  In  scouring  them  out,  the  cook's 
assistants  climb  down  into  them,  using  sand  and  canvas 
to  scrub  them  clean.  When  ready  for  inspection,  the 
doctor  is  called,  and,  standing  on  a  ladder  put  down  into 
each  copper  for  the  purpose,  rubs  his  white-gloved  hand 
along  the  surface  and  in  every  nook  and  c  orner  As  in 
the  case  of  the  mess  cooks,  every  mark  on  the  gloves  is 
scored  upon  the  back  of  the  delinquent  scullion.  The 
office  of  ship's  cook  is  generally  held  by  a  colored  man, 
they  having  been  proved  by  experience  to  be  the  handiest 
or  best  suited  for  the  place.  The  office  was  in  olden 
times  one  of  some  dignity,  and  our  old  black  cook  used 
to  relate  with  great  glee,  that  when  he  was  a  boy  in  the 


SMUGGLING     LIQUOR.  137 

13ritish  Navy,  the  ship's  cook  was  privileged  to  wear  a 
sword. 

"  All  same  as  Cap'en,"  said  Cufty,  with  a  grin. 

At  seven  bells,  daily,  the  cook  brings  a  sample  of  the 
crew's  dinner  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  who  tastes  it  to 
see  that  it  is  properly  cooked,  after  which  it  is  served  out 
to  the  mess  cooks,  who  set  the  table  preparatory  to 
dinner. 

While  we  were  in  Eio  harbor,  some  of  our  tars,  in 
whose  heads  the  love  of  bad  liquor  set  astir  every  bit  of 
ingenuity  of  whijh  they  we:e  the  possessors,  found  means, 
notwithstanding  the  vigilance  of  the  master-at-arms  and 
his  \vorthy  co-adjut)rs,  to  snuggle  on  board  considerable 
quantities  of  ali  tuid,  compound  d,  beyond  doubt,  of  tur- 
pentine, water,  and  a  dash  of  the  country  liquor  to  give 
it  a  tinge,  but  whLh  they,  good  trusty  souls,  firmly 
believed  to  be  excellent  rum.  On  a  skin  of  this,  (as  the 
bladders,  in  which  it  is  secretly  brought  in,  are  called.) 
three  or  four  of  them  would  manage  to  get  gloriously 
fuddled,  over  night,  and  wake  up  next  morning  in  the 
brig,  where  they  were  retained  in  safe  keeping  until  the 
vessel  should  proceed  to  sea,  when  their  final  punishment 
would  take  place,  there  being,  as  a  general  thing,  no 
flogging  done  in  harbor.  By  the  kindness  of  a  friend, 
who  occasionally  imbibed,  I  was  permitted  to  get  a  look 
in  id  a  smell  at  one  of  these  mysterious  skins,  the  safe 
a -rival  of  which  on  board  always  produced  such  a  terrible 
• -incut  among  the  foretop  men  and  fo  ecastle  men. 
I  found  it  to  be  simply  a  beef's  Madder,  fillrd  about  half 
full  with  imaginary  rum.  Filthy  looking,  it  certainly 
was;  but  the  smell — faugh! — the  pen  of  a  whol->alo 


1  o8  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

dealer  in  assafoetida  would  fail  to  do  justice  to  that.  I 
will  not  attempt  it.  The  modus  operandi  by  which  these 
skins  are  smuggled  on  board,  I  was  never  permitted  to 
know,  such  secrets  being  strictly  confined  to  the  breasts 
<K  the  chosen  few  who  make  it  their  business  to  import 
liquor  in  such  original  packages. 

The  first  Saturday  at  sea,  the  brig  was  unmoored,  that 
is,  the  prisoners  were  punished,  and  set  at  liberty. 
Coming  up  the  main  hatchway,  after  quarters,  I  noticed 
a  heavy  grating  lashed  down  to  two  cyebolts,  at  the 
weather  gangway,  and  two  light  lines  hanging  down  over 
the  hammock  rail  above.  Looking  aft,  I  saw  the  marines, 
undjr  arms,  on  the  lee  side  of  the  quarter  deck,  and 
officers  coming  on  deck  with  their  side  arms  on.  Walking 
forward  to  enquire  what  meant  all  this  p  eparation,  1 
remarked  an  unusual  stillness,  all  laughing  and  singing 
hushed,  and  even  talking  going  on  only  in  subdued  tones. 
But  here  comes  the  boatswain.  Winding  loud  his  pipe, 
he  calls : 

"All  hands  witness  punishment,  ahoy!"  The  dread 
reality  burst  upon  my  mind.  They  were  going  to  flog 
the  poor  fellows  in  the  brig.  Going  down  on  the  main 
deck,  I  found  the  master-at-arms  taking  off  their  inns, 
which  done,  he  marched  them,  under  convoy  of  a  sentry,  up 
to  the  gangway.  Meantime  the  officers  gathered  on  the 
quarter-deck,  swords  in  hand  ;  the  marines  stool  to  their 
arms,  and  the  boatswain  was  engaged  in  driving  the  men 
on  deck,  no  one  being  allowed  to  absent  himself  from  the 
barbarous  display.  Everybody  being  on  deck,  the  captain 
descends  from  the  poop  and  walks  slowly  to  the  gangway, 
where  the  master-at-arms  hands  him  a  list  of  the  prisoners. 


A      F  L  0  (5  (1  I  N  (J      M  A  T  C  II  .  1  o9 

'Flic  doctor  stands  behind  the  captain,  to  notify  him  when, 
in  his  opinion,  the  body  that  is  being  flogged  threatens  to 
succumb  under  the  b.utal  infliction. 

"  Thomas  Brown,"  calls  the  c  ptain,  gruffly. 

The  man  steps  forward  in  silc::cc. 

"  You  were  drunk,  sir.     Master-at  arms,  strip  him." 

Meantime,  while  the  work  of  stripping  is  going  on,  the 
precise  portion  of  the  artLles  of  war  which  Thomas 
r>r<>\vn  had  transgressed  by  getting  diuuk,  is  read  aloud, 
and  the  master-at-ai  ms  ha\  ing  helped  the  poor  fellow  off 
with  his  shirt  and  laid  it  loosely  over  his  shoulders  again, 
the  quarter-masters  are  ordered  to  "  seize  him  up.'' 

He  is  walked  forward,  on  to  the  grating,  to  which  his 
feet  are  sejurely  fastened  by  lashings,  his  wrists  being  in 
like  manner  lashed  to  the  hammock-Tail,  above  his  head. 
A  few  moments  of  dread  silence  now  intervene,  during 
which,  the  chief  boatswain's  mate  is  seen  nervously 
running  his  fingers  thiough  the  cats. 

•'  Boatswain's  mate  do  your  duty." 

He  advances,  and,  poised  on  his  right  foot,  swinging 
the  cats  over  his  back,  takes  deliberate  aim  at  the  human 
back  spread  before  him. 

Thug,  sounds  the  cat. 

"  One"  solemnly  announces  the  mastei'-a.-arnis.  The 
victim  does  not  move. 

Thug — two. 

Now  the  flesh  on  his  back  quivers  and  creeps,  the 
injured  muscles  contract,  and  the  stripes  assume  a  bright 
n-d  tinge. 

Thug — three. 

The  stripes  turn  a  dark  purple,  and  the  grating  shakes 


140  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

convulsively  with  the  reluctant  start  wrung  from    the 
strong  man  in  agony. 

Thug — four. 

Blood — Oh!  God,  I  could  look  no  more,  but  burying 
my  face  in  my  hands,  turned  from  the  sickening  scene. 
But  still  the  dull  thug  resounded  in  my  ears,  folio  we  1 
toward  the  last  by  a  low  moan,  until  twelve  was  reached, 
when  the  boatswain's  mate  was  stopped,  the  poor  fellow 
taken  down,  his  shirt  flung  over  his  bleeding  back,  and 
another  victim  called  forth. 

About  twenty  were  flogged  that  morning.  Many  mor^ 
times  was  I  compelled  to  hear  the  sharp  whistle  of  thj 
cat  as  it  swung  through  the  arr,  and  the  dull  sound  of  th^ 
blow  as  it  met  the  quivering  flesh ;  but  never  more  di  1 
I  see  a  man  flogged. 

I  fan^y  that  those  editors  and  legislators  who  sit  in 
their  cozy  arm-chairs,  in  office  or  congressional  hall,  and 
talk  wisely  about  the  necessity  of  flogging  for  sailors, 
need  only  on.e  to  witness  the  infliction  of  the  punishment 
they  think  so  needful,  and  experience  within  their  own 
breasts  the  feeling  of  dark  humiliation  which  falls  upon 
the  soul  at  seeing  the  manhood  thus  being  scourged  out 
of  a  fellow -creature,  to  alter  their  convictions  as  to  the 
expediency  of  flogging.  Let  them  see  once  the  down  look 
of  the  poor  victim  of  a  barbarous  tyranny,  and  they  will 
not  say  "  it  does  not  injure  a  sailor." 

Thank  God,  the  counsels  of  mercy  have  prevailed 
and  the  American  Navy  is  no  longer  disgraced  by  the 
lash. 

It  may  be  asked  here,  what  was  the  effect  upon  the 
rest  of  the  ship's  company  ?  Of  visible  effect  there  was 


FREEDOM     OF     SPEECH.  141 

little.  A  man-of-war  is  not  the  place  for  too  free  an  ex- 
pression of  opinion.  The  regulations  of  the  service  d* 
not  admit  of  freedom  of  speech.  They  contain  such  a 
word  as  mutiny,  for  which  they  provide  "  death,  or  such 
other  punishment  as  a  court-martial  shall  provide." 
And,  as  there  can  be  no  half-way  talk  concerning  so 
brutal  a  practice  aw  flogging  a  human  being — a  creature 
created  in  the  image  of  God — the  consequence  is  an 
ominous  silence.  "A  still  tongue  makes  a  wise  head  " — 
nowhere  more  so  than  in  the  service,  where  it  is  truly 
said: 

"  You  are  allowed  to  think  what  you  please,  but  you 
must  not  think  aloud." 


CHAPTER  TH. 

THE  South-East  Trades  —  A  Gale  off  the  Cape,  and  what  suc- 
ceeded it  —  St.  Pauls  and  New  Amsterdam  —  Return  to  fine 
Weather  —  Water-Spouts. 

WHEN  we  were  once  fairly  in  the  south-east  traces, 
then  began  one  of  the  most  delightful  portions  of  our 
voyage.  This  wind  is  much  more  steady  than  the  north- 
cast  trades,  and  is  carried  much  longer.  Our  course 
lying  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  we  sailed  by  the 
wind,  with  larboard  tacks  aboard.  Not  being  able  to 
carry  studding-s  <ils,  as  the  wind  was  not  fair,  we  rigged 
skysail  masts,  and  set  skysails  above  the  royals.  With 
these  spread,  we  sailed  along  between  fifteen  and  twenty 
days,  without  starting  tack  or  sheet. 

Of  course,  the  ocean  itself  diifers  but  little  in  these 
latitudes  from  anywhere  else.  It  is  the  same  vast  ex- 
panse of  undulating  blue,  heaving  in  long  rollers,  as  far 
as  eye  can  reach,  and  out  of  which  the  sun  glides  silently 
but  swiftly,  in  the  morning,  returning  again  in  golden 
splendor  at  night.  But  the  accessories  are  what  makes 
the  sailing  here  so  pleasant.  Nowhere  else,  at  sea,  is 
the  wind  so  entirely  soft  and  devoid  of  all  harshness. 
Even  in  strong  breezes,  it  fans  one's  cheek  like  the 
soft  zephyrs  which,  at  home,  announce  to  us  the  advent 
(H2) 


T  I F  !•      S  O  T  T  II    -  E  A  S  T     TRADES.  1  48 

of  spring.  Then,  the  glorious  constellations  of  the 
southern  hemisphere,  which  we  now  first  began  to  bring 
plainly  above  the  horizon,  viewed  through  the  slight  haze 
whi:-h  prevails  in  these  latitudes  assumed  an  intense  and 
vivid  brightness,  whLh  was  as  beautiful  as  strange. 
The  vast  masses  of  snow-white  clouds  which  continually 
roll  up  f ,  om  the  south-east,  add  grandeur  to  the  scene. 
The  waters,  which  at  night  sparkle  as  though  reflecting 
the  stars  above,  marking  the  ship's  wake  in  a  long  band 
of  glistening  gold — these  waters  are  alive  with  fish.  All 
day  long,  the  voracious  dolphin  pursues  the  little  flying- 
tish.  running  him  out  of  the  water  here,  only  to  await 
him  \\  ith  open  maw,  at  the  spot  where,  his  strength  fail- 
in  ir.  he  falls  back  into  the  waves.  Schools  of  porpoises 
leap  high  above  the  swell,  exulting  in  a  power  which 
neither  wind  nor  tide  can  overcome.  Around  the  bows 
of  the  vessel,  the  bonita  and  albicore  arc  running  us  a 
vast  shoals  of  them  accompanying  us  from  day  to 
day.  .shooting  now  far  ahead  of  the  vessel,  waiting  for 
h«r  to  come  up,  encircling  her,  and  darting  around  in 
*  very  dire  tion. 

Day  after  day,  this  view  continues  the  same.  The 
ixjean,  the  clouds,  the  breeze,  the  very  fish  even  that 
gambol  about  the  bows,  seem  to  be  the  same,  and  one 
could  easily  fancy  the  vessel  to  be  set  here  in  mid-ojean, 
like  on?  of  those  little  miniature  ships  which  we  see  on 
old-fashioned  clocks,  rolling  and  pitching  all  day,  but 
makinir  no  headway. 

In  order  to  keep  the  south-east  trades  until  they  lose 
liemselvcs  in  stormy  breezes  from  the  south,  India  bound 
vessels,  after  « -rowing  the  line,  generally  make  a  wide 


144  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

detour  from  their  nearest  course.  The  shortest  way, 
measured  by  miles,  would,  of  course,  be  to  skim  along 
the  coast  of  Africa,  rounding  the  Cape  at  a  safe  distance 
from  land,  and  then  stretching  off  to  the  north  and  east, 
or  up  the  Mozambique — the  former  "  passage  to  India." 
But  experience  has  taught  the  navigator  of  these  seas 
that  on  such  a  course  (the  one  pursued  in  the  olden 
times  by  the  Portuguese  and  Dutch,  the  first  navigators  of 
these  waters) ,  they  would  meet  with  continual  and  strong 
head-winds,  and  would  have  to  contend  with  a  powerful 
current,  which  sets  around  the  Cape  to  the  westward, 
making  it  almost  an  impossibility  to  beat  around  to  the 
east.  From  this  difficulty,  experienced  by  the  first  Por- 
tuguese navigator  who  attempted  this  passage  to  the 
Indies,  and  who  named  the  promontory  "  Stormy  Cape," 
as  well  as  for  a  long  time  after  by  the  Portuguese  and  the 
Dut:h,  then  eager  competitors  in  the  trade  with  Cathaya 
and  the  Grande  Khan,  probably  arose  the  legend  of  Philip 
Vanderdecken  and  his  crew,  in  the  Flying  Dutchman, 
who,  it  is  said,  are  still  beating  about  in  their  old  galliott 
off  the  Cape  of  Storms,  vainly  inquiring  of  passing  ves- 
sels after  the  welfare  of  their  good  old  square-built 
vrows,  in  Amsterdam,  whose  names,  alas,  have  long 
since  faded  from  the  memory  of  man.  Poor  Vander- 
decken !  expiating  his  impious  obstinacy,  in  vowing  to 
cruise  there  till  he  got  around,  "  if  it  took  him  till  the 
day  of  judgment,"  by  beating  back  and  forth  in  the 
storm-winds  of  the  cape,  vainly  waiting  for  the  fair 
wind,  which  never  comes.  What  a  set  of  "old  salts" 
.is  crew  must  be,  to  be  sure  ! 
Standing  on.  we  were  soon  in  the  latitude  of  the  Cape 


THE     CAP  E     &  \\'  E  i.  L  .  145 

of  Good  Hope,  although  many  degrees  to  the  westward 
of  it.  The  weather  now  began  to  undergo  a  very  sensi- 
ble change.  The  nights,  before  mild,  grew  cool.  The 
breeze,  soft  even  in  its  str,ngth,  became  harsh,  and 
howled  strangely  through  the  rigging— foreboding  a  stoiin, 
the  old  tars  said.  The  clou  Is,  which  rolled  over  in  vast 
snow-white  masses,  not  devise  enough  to  conceal  the  bright 
«.-  'iistellations  of  the  south,  grew  darker  and  more  lower- 
ing. The  Atlantic  assumed  a  longer  and  more  powerful 
roll,  as  though  gathering  strength  for  the  approaching 
conflict  with  the  vast  waves  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  The 
flying-fish,  the  aloicore,  and  bonita,  and  the  white  tropic 
bird,  have  left  us,  and  in  their  places  we  have  the  cape 
pigeon,  screaming  in  our  wake  all  day.  At  last,  a  soli- 
tary albatross  appears — lonely  harbinger  of  a  land  of 
ice  and  snow. 

In  latitude  forty-five  degrees  we  stood  over  on  the 
other  tack,  and,  with  a  stiff  topgallant  breeze,  lay  on  our 
course  to  the  east-north-east  The  wind,  whi.h  had 
been  growing  stronger  for  some  days,  now  freshened  into 
a  gale,  and  the  second  evening  after  changing  our  course 
found  us  under  close-reefed  fore  and  main  topsails,  reefed 
foresail,  and  storm  staysail.  The  night  was  exceedingly 
wild  ;  the  mountain  billows  roared  as  they  dashed  past 
us  on  their  resistless  path ;  the  mad  storm-\viud  seemed 
to  tear  spitefully  through  the  ri^irinir.  shrieking  a> 
though  a'.iirm'd  that  our  good  ship  withstood  a-1  his 
powers.  Once  in  a  while,  a  solitary  cape  pigeon  would 
rifle  tr -in  a  wave,  only  to  be  dashed  with  a  shrill  scream 
into  the  water  again.  It  blew  great  guns.  Our  \ 
wallowed  through  the  seas,  rolling  the  mouths  of  the 
10 


146  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

main-deck  guns  under  at  every  luroh.  We  had  been  all 
day  preparing  for  the  gale — putting  extra  lashings  on  the 
guns,  relieving-tacklcs  on  the  tiller  to  ease  the  rudder, 
getting  gratings  and  tarpaulins  over  the  hatches,  and 
double  securing  the  boats,  booms,  ct3.  This  was  the  first 
real  gale  of  wind  we  had  yet  seen.  Now,  for  the  first 
time,  was  our  spar-deck  wet  with  sprays.  Even  now, 
however,  the  vessel  shipped  no  regular  seas,  washing 
everything  fore  and  aft,  as  would  be  the  case  with  a 
smaller  vessel  under  such  circumstances,  but  once  in  a 
while  a  great  monster  wave  would  lift  its  head  against 
our  side,  and  bursting  when  just  reaching  up  to  our  upper 
ports,  send  a  little  deluge  across  the  deck,  to  run  out  to 
the  leeward.  Life  ropes  had  been  ligged  towards 
night,  to  prevent  any  one  from  being  carried  forcibly  to 
leeward  in  the  heavy  lurches.  At  evening  quarters  every 
gun  was  thoroughly  re-secured,  and  train-tackles,  reaching 
from  the  guns  to  bolts  in  amidships  of  the  deck,  bowsed 
taught  in  order  to  take  the  heavy  strain  off  the  ship's 
side.  The  ports  were  closed  as  tightly  as  possible,  and 
hammocks  were  piped  down  early,  to  give  the  watch  below 
a  chance  to  turn  in,  out  of  the  wet  and  cold. 

A  vessel  of  war  is  an  uncomfortable  place  in  a  gale  of 
wind.  To  be  sure  the  large  crew  makes  the  labor  of 
taking  in  sail  and  making  all  snug  comparatively  light. 
But  while  the  merchant  sailor,  his  work  done,  turns  into 
his  warm  bunk,  and  keeps  himself  dry  and  comfortable — 
comfortable  comparatively  speaking  only,  reader — but  all 
comfort  is  comparative — the  man-of-war's  man.  on  going 
below,  finds  a  wet  and  sloppy  deck,  up  and  down  which 
he  must  puddle,  the  weary  hours  of  his  watch  below. 


A      G  A  I   E     0  V     W  I  X  D  .  147 

Hammocks  are  not  allowed  below  during  the  day,  seats 
there  are  none,  or  almost  none ;  to  sit  or  lie  down  on  the  wet 
de,-k  is  impossible,  and  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  walk, 
a  proceeding  that  has  the  a  iditional  a  ivaataje  o  keeping 
up  the  temperature  of  one's  body,  which  is  apt  to  get 
ow  in  the  -absence  of  all  fire,  when  the  thermometer 
ranges  only  about  ten  degrees  above  the  freezing  point. 
In  fai;t,  the  only  comfortable  place  I  could  ever  find  on 
board  our  vessel,  in  a  gale,  was  in  the  tops.  There,  with 
a  tarpaulin  wrapped  about  the  weather  ringing  to  keep 
•  ft'  the  .wind,  and  a  jacket  or  two  rolled  around  one's 
body  to  keep  out  the  cold,  there  was  an  amount  of  real 
comfort  to  be  gotten  (comparative,  of  cours:1,  as  before 
said,)  of  which  a  landsman  can  have  no  idea. 

The  captain  was  on  dejk  nea:ly  all  night,  watching 
:  ttenthvly  the  '  ehavior  of  the  ship  and  the  a  tion  of  th) 
gale.  All  night  great  masses  of  scud  swept  wildly  o  er 
the  sky,  the  wind  in  its  fu  y,  tearing,  twisting,  and 
spinning  it  about,  like  cotton  in  a  cotton  gin.  At  twelve 
•k,  the  gale  had  so  much  freshened  as  to  make  it 
necessary  to  take  in  the  foretop-sail.  On  board  a  little 
larivhant  <••  afr.  this  would  now  have  been  a  piece  of  work 
to  employ  all  hands  for  the  better  part  of  a  watch.  Here, 
a  few  maintop  men  were  sent  over  to  aid  the  foretop  men, 
and.  without  disturbing  the  watch  below,  the  rag  was 
taken  off  her. 

In  a  strong  <_rale  of  wind  like  this  was,  it  is  a  critical 

<»f  work  to  take  in  a  sail  without  having  it  slatted 

The  wind,  now  filling,  now  backing  the  loose 

canvas  as  the  sheets  are  eased  anl  the  clew-lines  hauled 

u;  .  tries  every  thread,  and   oftentimes,  when  the  sail  is 


148  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

not  quite  new,  the  canvas,  on  the  first  slat,  is  blown  clear 
out  of  the  bolt  ropes.  But  on  board  vessels  of  war,  where 
there  is  an  abundance  of  hands,  such  accidents  are 
generally  avoided. 

We  t  >ok  every  precaution.  Manning  the  lee  clew-line, 
that  clew,  or  corner  cf  the  sail,  was  hauled  up  until  the 
the  loa;h  was  stretched  tightly  along  under  the  yard. 
Then  In'ting  the  weather  leach  a  little,  by  bracing  in  the 
yard,  the  weather  cle  vv-line  was  quickly  run  up ;  the 
buutlines,  previously  released  from  their  lizards  on  the 
yard,  were  triced  up  until  the  sail  was  entirely  bound 
up  by  its  rop  ,  and  it  lay  as  quietly  as  though  in  a  calm 
The  topmen  quickly  stowed  it,  and  we  were  snug  again 
But  scarcely  had  the  last  man  gotten  down  off  the  top 
sail  ya  d  be  ore,  with  a  n  ise  louder  than  thunder,  the 
reefed  "oresail  split  do.vn  the  middle  cloth,  and  blew 
away  to  leeward,  not  leaving  enough  of  the  canvas  in 
the  r.pes  to  make  a  towel  of.  The  rope  and  clews,  all 
th  t  remained  of  that  portion  of  the  sail  which  was 
exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  gale,  were  quickly  clewed  up, 
and  fastened  to  the  yard. 

The  strain  which  is  brought  upon  a  sail  when  it  is 
tilled  or  distended  by  the  wind,  does  not,  by  any  means, 
fall  upon  all  parts  alike.  The  extremities  receive  the 
greater  share,  and  to  enable  them  to  withstand  this,  the 
edges  of  the  sail  are  lined  with  strong  rope,  to  whL-h  the 
sailcloth  is  secured  in  a  peculiar  manner.  The  perfect 
soundness  and  stability  of  this  rope  being  of  great 
importance  to  the  sail,  pains  are  taken  to  secure  for  that 
purpose  a  superior  quality  of  ringing.  A  kind  called 
bolt-rope,  the  yarns  or  minute  strands  of  which  ai'e 


CARRYING     ON     SAIL.  119 

ith   cspe.ial  care,  is  exclusively    used.     Our 
is   was  a  nearly  i:ew  sail — but,  unfortunately,  the 
i  defective,  having  probably  gotten  chafed 
or  worn,  and  parting  in  a  gust'  of  more   than  usual  vio- 
lence, the  whole  sail  blew  aw  y. 

On  board  a  merchant  ship,  an  accident  of  this  kind 
would  not  be  repaired  until  thj  gale  moderated;  but  a 
different  spirit  prevails  in  government  vessels. 

••  Let  them  send  the  reef  down  on  deok,  Mr,  Johnson/' 
said  OUY  captain,  "  and  let  the  waisters  of  the  watch  go 
down  into  the  sail-locker  and  bring  up  the  other  foicsail. 
We'll  bend  it  immediately." 

The  remnants  of  the  torn  sail  were  soon  hauled  down 

on  deck,  and  the  new  one  being  stretched  across  the  fore- 

.  the  rigging  was  bent,  the  sail  reefed,  then  se  urelj 

furled,  and,  taking  advantage  of  a  temporary  lull,  triced 

aloft,  hauled  out,  and  bent 

"  Set  it,  sir,"  said  the  skipper,  in  answer  to  the  boat- 
Mvain,  who  came  aft  to  report  the  sail  bent,  and  ready 
for  hauling  down. 

Old  Pipes  opened  his  eyes  :<  t  this,  for  the  gale  was  evi- 

d'-ntl y  increasing  instead  of  diminishing.  The  foretack  was 

hc'l   along  aft,  the  watch  clapped  on   it,  and  the 

r  o  >rner  securely  hauled  down  to  the  knight-heads, 

•resheet  bowsed  down  as  far  as  the  reefed  sail  would 

al  <>w,  and  the  ship,  under  the  lifting  influence  of  an 

additional  forward  sail,  shipped  less  water,  and  rode  over 

lip-  sras  lighter  than  before, 

ling  on  deck  at  eight  o'clock  next  morning,  we 
found  a  singular  spectacle  engaging  the  attention  of  the 
watch  on  deck.  A  little  brig  by  hove  to.  a  quarter  of  a 


150  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

mile  under  our  lee.  She  had  evidently  been  brought  to 
under  a  close-reefed  maintopsail  and  foresail,  and  fore- 
topmast  staysail,  but  all  three  of  the  sails  had  been 
blown  clear  of  the  bolt-ropes,  and  she  was  now  riding 
under  bare  poles,  with  only  a  bit  of  tarpaulin  spread  in 
the  main  rigging.  The  ropes  were  still  distended,  tack 
nor  sheet  having  been  started,  and  the  form  of  the  lost 
sails  thus  fluttered  in  the  gale.  We  could  now  see  the 
power  of  the  waves,  as  they  tossed  the  little  craft  about 
as  though  she  had  been  a  chip.  Once  in  a  while,  she 
would  be  lifted  high  up  on  a  monster  wave,  which, 
receding  from  under  her,  exposed  to  our  view  the  greater 
portion  of  her  keel,  leaving  her  to  fall  with  a  heavy  sug 
into  the  trough  of  the  sea,  where  she  would  lie  for  some 
minutes  completely  hid  from  our  sight,  until  rising  again 
upon  the  succeeding  billow. 

The  gale  lasted  all  day  and  night,  but  died  away 
toward  the  next  morning,  leaving  us  a  terrible  sea.  Sail 
was  made  as  the  wind  decreased,  to  keep  her  as  steady 
as  possible,  but  by  noon  it  was  nearly  calm,  with  the  sea 
running  mountain  high.  This  is  the  kind  of  weather 
whLh  is  most  trying  to  spars  and  rigging.  With  no 
wind  to  steady  the  vessel,  by  bearing  her  down  upon  and 
against  the  water,  the  ship  lies  like  an  unwieldy  monster 
at  the  mercy  of  the  billows.  Boiling  down  on  one  side 
till  the  guns  are  fairly  dipped,  and  the  lower  yard-arms 
almost  tou  h  the  waters,  she  fetches  up  with  a  sudden 
and  violent  jerk,  which  makes  her  quiver  to  her  keel,  and 
threatens  to  take  every  stick  out  of  her,  falling  meantime 
down  on  the  other  side,  only  to  repeat  the  jerk.  Thus 
we  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  sea,  rolling  gunwales  down, 


THE     DISCOMFORTS     OK     A     GALE.  151 

for  twenty-four  hours,  topsails  lowered  on  the  cap, 
courses  hauled  up  to  keep  them  from  slatting  to  pieces, 
tumbling  about  like  a  wreck  upjn  the  waters.  To  walk 
about  the  decks  was  nearly  impossible.  If  actually 
necessary  to  move,  one  watches  the  roll,  and  sitting  down 
on  the  deck,  slides  down  to  the  spot  it  is  desired  to  reach 
Shot-boxes,  shot-racks,  match  tubs,  all  the  minor  appur- 
tenances of  war,  which  are  common  y  allowed  to  stand 
loose  in  their  places,  were  sliding  about,  to  the  evident 
danger  of  the  limbs  of  passers-by.  The  cook  threatened 
to  suspend  oper.tions  in  the  galley — but,  finally,  made 
out  to  cook  half  allowance,  the  bean  soup  actually  roll- 
ing out  of  the  coppers  while  cooking.  At  dinner,  each 
man  having  secured  his  pan  of  soup,  hastened  to  secure 
himself,  for  the  purpose  of  consuming  it.  Some  lashed 
themselves  to  guns  and  stancheons,  and  there  swallowed 
their  dinner  at  their  ease.  Others  were  perched  in  coils 
-I'Xing,  where,  being  suspended  clear  of  the  deck, 
they  had  the  advantage  of  retaining  their  perpendicular 
position,  let  the  ship  roll  how  she  would.  And  others  yet, 
-at  themselves  down  0:1  dejk,  taking  their  chances  of 
sliding  into  the  scuppers,  in  some  heavy  lurch.  Once, 
when  an  unusually  heavy  roll  occurred.  I  heard  a  tre- 
mendous rattle  of  tin,  and  looking  forward,  saw  a  whole 
who  had  seated  themselves  around  the  cloth,  slid- 
ing gloriously  down  to  leeward,  on  the  seats  of  their 
trowsers,  fetching  up  against  the  side  with  a  force  which 
must  have  been  of  material  service  in  settling  their 
<li  nners. 

On  deck,  the  creaking,  and  slatting,  and  jerking,  the 
jrradual  sinking  over  one  side,  and  the  sudden  recoil, 


152  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

continued  to  make  it  nearly  impossible  to  move  about. 
It  was  much  as  one  could  do  to  hold  on,  and  when  a  pull 
was  to  be  got  on  any  rope,  it  was  first  necessary  for  the 
men  to  fasten  themselves  to  the  rail  in  its  immediate 
vi.inity,  or  to  pull  with  one  hand  and  hold  on  with  the 
ther.  The  racket  made  by  rigging  swinging  about, 
olocks  flying  violently  against  masts  and  rigging,  and  the 
groaning  of  the  vessel,  put  all  conversation,  in  ordinary 
tones,  out  of  the  question.  It  was  a  scene  of  indescrib- 
able,, almost  inconceivable  confusion.  The  captain  and 
commander,  ever  and  anon,  cast  anxious  glances  aloft, 
fearful  that  the  continual  jerking  would  carry  away  some 
of  the  top-hamper.  Luckily,  everything  held  fast.  In 
such  a  time  as  this,  when  it  would  be  almost  impossible 
to  go  aloft  to  repair  anything,  the  saf .  ty  of  all  the  masts 
d  pends  on  the  solidity  with  which  each  one  is  secured. 
Let  but  one  pie  e  of  standing  rigging  give  cut — carrying 
with  it,  as  it  would,  the  mast  which  it  was  designed  to 
support — and  it  is  but  the  prelude  to  every  mast  going 
by  the  board ;  for  the  spars  of  a  vessel  are  so  intimately 
connected  with  one  another,  each  supporting  the  other, 
that  a  loss  of  even  a  topgallantmast.  in  a  he  ivy  sea, 
would  be  likely  to  cause  the  dismasting  of  the  ship. 

We  watched  our  little  companion,  the  brig,  with  some 
cu.iosity,  to  see  how  she  would  stand  the  seaway.  She 
was  tossed  about  fearfully — now  rolling  over  to  star- 
board and  exposing  to  our  view  all  her  larboard  side 
down  to  her  keel ;  then  back  to  port,  until  her  masts 
seemed  parallel  with  the  water,  and  her  deck  at  right 
angles  with  the  plane  of  the  horizon  ;  now,  an  immense 
wave  fairly  threw  her  bow  into  the  air,  as  though  bent 


WASHING     CLOTHES.  153 

upon  sending  her  over ;  again,  the  whole  vessel  plunged 
madly  into  a  yawning  abyss,  causing  one  involuntarily  to 
< -a  tdi  his  breath  at  the  suddenness  and  violence  of  the 
•ut;  now,  a  mountain  wave  hid  her  entirely  from  our 
si-Jit,  and  again,  she  was  laun  hcd  in  mid-air,  as  though 
s  me  giant  were  playing  at  cat:h  ball  u  ith  her. 

<  hi  the  third  day  after  the  gale  broke  up,  the  sea  was 
once  more  moderately  quiet,  nothing  remaining  now  as 
evidence  of  the  late  gale,  except  the  long  rolling  swell 
which  prevails  in  this  latitude,  as  well  as  perhaps  to  a 
greater  degree  off  Cape  Horn.  The  calm  which  succeeded 
the  gale  had,  in  its  turn,  been  followed  by  a  light  and- 
fair  breeze,  with  the  aid  of  which  we  were  now  shaping 
our  course  to  the  eastward,  v  ith  all  sail  set. 

The  sailing-master  desired  to  sight  the  islands  of  St. 
Pauls  and  New  Amsterdam,  and  by  them  prove  his  reck- 
oning, or  "  get  a  new  departure,"  as  it  is  called,  before 
laving  the  ship  on  her  course  for  Java  Head,  which  was 
to  be,  it  was  now  pretty  generally  understood,  the  first 
}>  iut  at  which  we  would  touch. 

As  soon  as  the  vessel  was  once  more  on  an  even  keel, 
was  a  general  wash-day,  to  give  all  hands  an  oppor- 
tunity of  getting  the  salt  water  out  of  their  wet  clothes, 
;  •  •  dry  them.  1 1  was  still  quite  cold  and  raw,  but 
implied  by  necessity,  stern  necessity,  which  knows  not 
]>itv.  i.i.r  i  ares  for  raw  fingers  nor  frosted  toes,  the  writer 
hereof  "  pulled  off  his  coat  and  rolled  up  his  sleeves," 
took  off  his  shoes  and  stock  HILTS,  and  tucked  up  his  trow- 
sers  above  his  knees,  to  shiver  for  two  mortal  hours  ovei 
a  tub  full  of  clothes,  which,  having  got  wet  and  soiled 
during  the  late  gale,  required  immediate  renovation. 


154  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

Pity — Oh  !  washerwomen  of  America — pity  poor  Jack, 
who  sits  shivering  upon  a  gun-slide,  and  rubs  the  skin  off 
his  knuckles  in  vain  attempts  to  transfer  the  dirt  (save 
the  mark)  from,  his  shirts  to  the  water.  Verily,  washing 
clothes  twelve  degrees  south  of  the  cape,  is  a  commend 
able  instance  of  the  pursuit  o:"  cleanliness  under  dim' 
culties. 

Aided  by  a  fair  and  freshening  breeze,  a  few  days 
sufficed  to  overcome  the  distance  between  us  and  the 
islands  of  which  we  were  next  to  get  a  sight ;  and  on  the 
eighth  day  after  the  ga'e,  the  cry  of  "  land-ho !"  from  the 
maintop  mast-head  gave  us  to  understand  that  the  object 
of  our  search  was  attained.  The  land  was  right  ahead, 
and  a  few  hours  sailing  b.  ought  us  within  a  couple  of 
miles  of  its  most  no  .them  point. 

The  isles  of  St.  Pauls  and  Amsterdam  are  situated  in 
latitude  thirty-eight  south,  and  longitude  seventy-seven 
degrees  twenty- two  minutes  east.  Bare  and  sterile, 
unproductive  of  aught  of  ornament  or  use,  their  sole 
tenants  are  the  seabirds  which  congregate  there  to  hatch 
out  their  young,  and  a  fe»v  goats,  descendants  of  a  pair 
left  there  some  years  ago  by  a  benevolent  whaling  skipper, 
who  thus  made  provision  for  some  future  shipwreck.  A 
French  vessel  was  cast  away  upon  St.  Pauls  some  fifteen 
years  ago,  and  the  crew  lived  there  in  lonesome  suspense 
nearly  two  years  before  they  were  taken  off  by  an 
accidentally  passing  American  whale  ship.  It  was  this 
whaling  captain,  who,  passing  that  way  again  on  his  next 
voyage,  landed  upon  St.  Pauls  a  pair  of  goats,  whose 
descendants  have  stocked  the  island. 

Getting  the  bearing  and  distance  of  the  land,  and 


RKNOVATINO      THE      SHIP.  155 

having  thus  a  fresh  p  i  it  of  departure,  we  now  packed 
on  all  sail,  and  steei-e.1  towards  the  north.  Day  by  day 
\vc  rim-r^'d  out  of  the  cold  mistol'  the  southern  latitudes 
into  the  bright,  warm  sunshine  of  a  more  temperate 
It  seemed  as  though  a  thick  curtain  was  being 
drawn  away  from  l.efore  the  sun..  What  a  privilege  the 
s:ii  <>r  en'oys  in  being  able  to  bring  before  him  thus  in  the 
course  of  a  few  short  weeks,  all  the  seasons  of  the  year, 
from  rugged  autumn  and  frosty  winter,  to  genial  spring 
and  torrid  summer. 

Each  day  we  now  experienced  a  different  climate, 
graduating  from  a  most  uncomfortably  raw,  damp,  and 
cold  atmosphere,  which  brought  the  thermometer  quite  to 
the  freezing  point,  through  all  the  shades  and  qualities 
of  spring  weather,  until,  in  three  weeks,  we  were  swelter- 
ing under  the  burning  sun  of  the  equator. 

As  soon  as  we  got  a^ain  into  warm  weather,  all  hands 

set  to  work  scrubbing  the  ship,  inside  and  out,  masts 

and    all.     The   mists   in   the  southern  latitudes  have  a 

]>i   uliar  effect  upon  white  paint,  settling  upon  it  in  a 

thi  k  mildew,  which  lojks  precisely  like  dirt,  and   is 

lingly  hard  to  rub  off.     Our  paintwork  had  long 

un  eyesore  to  the  commander,  who,  in  fact,  had  the 

r  failing  blacklists  going  around  with  hand-swabs 

<>r  mops,  and  buckets,  daily,  washing  off  the  previous 

niirht's  accumulations  of  mildew;  but  their  efforts  were 

not  sufficient  to  keep  it  1  oking  neat     Taking  advantage, 

"f  one  of  the  first  fine  days  we  were  favored 

with,  on  our  return  to  the  north,  soap,  sand,  canvas,  and 

>  .  ,.11  quantities   of  fresh   \\aU-r  were  served   out.  an 

riy    i;i    the    morning.   Ly  eight   lolls   in 


I  f>6  MAN-OF-WAR     L  I  F  E  : 

tlie  afternoon  we  had  the  old  craft  looking  as  bright  as  a 
new  pin.  And  from  henceforth,  scrubbing  off  the  paint- 
w  rk  was  added  to  the  morning  labor  of  washing  decks, 
and  a  very  disagreeable  addition  it  was.  as  I  experienced, 
it  becoming  my  diurnal  duty  to  scrub  off  one  side  of  the 
po  p  deck. 

There  is  no  class  of  vessels,  however  un:-leanly  their 
occupation,  from  the  whaleman,  and  even  the  old  cod- 
fisherman,  up  to  the  dandy  Indiaman  and  the  man-of-war, 
about  which  there  may  not  be  found  some  piece  of  fancy- 
work,  some  favored  pla?e,  on  the  cleaning  and  ornamenting 
of  which  the  mate  or  captain  has  set  his  heart,  and  in  their 
regard  toward  which,  these  worthies  may  be  said  to  have 
a  certain  weakness.  Your  grand-banker,  who  may  be 
smelt  a  mile  off,  on  a  smooth  day,  if  you  are  so  unfor- 
tuiute»as  to  be  under  his  lee — who  lives,  moves,  and  has 
his  being  in  the  midst  of  decaying  codlivers  and  decayed 
fish — who  stumps  about  all  day  in  tough  oil-clothes,  and 
sea-beots  with  soles  an  inch  thick,  washes  his  face  once  a 
month,  and  cuts  a  notch  in  the  mainmast  when  he 
changes  his  shirt — this  same  rusty  old  fellow  will  look 
thunder  at  you,  should  you  by  accident  place  a  soiled 
shoe  upon  his  half-deck,  and  will  wash  this  little  favored 
oasis  in  the  surrounding  wilderness  of  dirt,  every  day  of 
his  fishing  cruise. 

The  right  whale-man,  whose  main-de  jk  is  made  visible 
viiyby  i  amoving  a  superficial  deposit  of  at  least  two 
inches  in  thickness  of  gummy  train  oil,  will  holystone 
the  poop-deck  every  Saturday  afternoon,  and  place  a  spit- 
toon beside  the  helmsman,  that  the  immaculate  purity  of 
that  little  spot  may  not  be  defiled  by  the  extract  of 


A      C  A  !'  T  A   1  N  '  S      I  P  Y  0  S  I  N  C  R  A  S  I  E  S.  1  57 


The   merchant   captain    pays   often    more 
attention  to  the  brightness  of  his  paint-work  than  to  the 

<-tness  of  his  reckoning,  and  prizes  more  highly  the 
sailor  who  can  turn  in  a  dead  eye  snugly,  or  tit  up  a  neat 
]>ai.-  »f  man  ropes,  than  him  who  gives  the  heaviest  pull 
on  the  halyards,  or  is  first  at  an  earing.  But  on  board  a 

I  of  war  —  there  perfect  cleanliness  and  neatness  is 
tlr  «ne  grand  desideratum,  to  the  attainment  of  which, 
no  htbor  is  spared,  no  pains  shunned,  no  time  considered 
lost.  From  five  to  seven,  we  holystone  decks.  From 
srvcn  to  eight  we  clean  bright-work.  At  half-past  eight 
the  sweepers  "  sweep  down/'  At  seven  bells,  morning 
and  afternoon,  they  repeat  the  sweeping,  and  even  at 
half-past  seven  at  night,  that  portion  of  the  half-deck 
which  is  lighted  up  is  carefully  re-swept. 

\Voe  betide  the  careless  fellow  whom  the  lynx-eyed  first 
lieutenant,  or  his  worthy  coadjutor,  the  boatswain,  has 

it  spitting  upon  the  deck.     He  is  condemned  for  the 
month,  to  carry  about  with  him  a  spittoon,  for  the 

:.irn<.-e  of  such  of  his  shipmates  as  may  indulge  in 
tin1  luxury  of  chewing  tobacco  :  a  perambulating  spit-box, 
at  the  command  of  every  passer  by. 

Having  gotten   our   paint-work   thoroughly  cleansed, 

"W  hauled  up  from  their  tiers  the  oiassive  chair 
raMrs.  which  were  stretched  along  decks,  in  order 
t<>  have  the  rust  beaten  and  rubbed  off  the  links.  All 
day  long,  for  a  week,  all  hands  sat  over  these  Cables, 
I'ounilini:  and  clinking  away,  like  an  army  of  amateur 

-niitlis.   th  MI   caivt'ully  scouring   an  I  dusting  each 
nk,    and    after   having   its   soundness   tested    by    the 


1  ~>8  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

armorer,  daubing  it  over  with  a  mixture  of  coal-tai 
and  lacquer. 

This  done,  and  the  cable  re-stowed  in  the  hold,  the 
gun  carriages  were  stained,  the  guns  blackened,  the 
stancheons  lacquered,  the  masts  scraped,  the  rigging  tar- 
r.d,  the  mast-heads  varnished,  and  so  on,  ad  infinitum, 
until  bj  -the  time  all  was  done  matters  were  in  proper  trim 
to  re-commence  at  the  beginning  and  do  it  all  over  again. 
Nor  is  all  this  scrubbing,  and  scouring,  and  scraping,  and 
sweeping  altogether  unnecessary.  It  is  singular  how 
fast,  at  sea,  far  away  from  the  dust  and  smoke  of  the 
shore,  the  decks  and  sides  of  the  vessel  will  become  soiled. 
Jt  is  told  of  Captain  Cook,  who  was  a  species  of  aqueous 
Benjamin  Franklin,  and  sought  for  a  reason  for  all  the 
minor  phenomena  of  every-day  life  at  sea,  that  he  searched 
long  and  attentively,  on  one  of  his  voyages  in  circum- 
navigating the  globe,  into  this  mystery,  but  was  at  last 
compelled  to  leave  its  elucidation  to  some  future  marine 
Solomon. 

After  crossing  the  southern  tropic,  we  met  with  fre- 
quent calms.  The  farther  north  we  got,  the  more  unset- 
tled became  the  weather,  the  more  frequent  the  rains  and 
light,  baffling  breezes,  giving  occasion  for  much  working 
ship,  without  setting  us  in  a  corresponding  degree  forward 
on  our  way.  It  was  in  such  weather  as  this,  and  when 
yet  over  a  week's  sail  from  Java  Head,  that  I  saw 
for  the  first  time  a  water-spout.  One  day,  when  the 
clouds  hung  particularly  low,  and  looked  a  dull  black, 
as  though  surcharged  with  water,  a  light  breeze  sprang 
up  and  blew  down  toward  us  several  spouts.  One  'ap- 
proached quite  near,  comparatively  speaking,  say  within 


W  A  T  E  II  -  S  POUTS HO  \V      FORMED.  1  ~  9 

;u i  eighth  of  a  mile,  and,  on  looking  at  it  through  a  spy- 
1  beheld  the  singular  specta  le  of  water  from  the 
s  a  apparent  y  being  drawn  up  into  the  clouds,  through 
tin-  inside  of  the  double  funnel  which  formed  the  spout. 
\s  !  afterward  frequently  witnessed  the  formation  of  a 
.••sp<uit,   I  will  describe  heie  how  it  comes  about, 
•irae  apparently  most  suitable  for  them  seems  to  be 
a  dark,  lowering  day,  when  the  clouds,  filled  with  moist- 
ure, hang  low  over  the  water,  ready  to  discharge  their 
«•  nt  i its,  but  seeming  to  be  prevented  from  it  by  a  lack  cf 
stimulating  power  in  the  air.    If  there  is  a  tolerably 
stroii,'  breeze,  it  is  all  the  better.     On  such  a  day,  one 
a  hissing,  rushing  noise  to  leeward,  and  turning 
the  ryes  in  that  direction  sees,  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  off,  a  peculiarly  black-looking,  low-hanging  cloud, 
and  directly  under  it  a  spot  on  the  water,  bubbling  and 
H  thing  as  though  at  boiling  heat.     The  first  I  saw.  I 
took  to  be  two  whales  fighting.     Directly,  this  framing 
wat'T  comes  smartly  to  windward,  going  directly  in  the 
of  the  prevailing  breeze,  at  the  rate  of   perhaps 
or  four  miles  an  hour.     Arriving  abreast  of  the 
and  but  a  little  distance  off,  it  causes  the  wind  to 
evidently  killing  it  all  along  itsrpath.     It  is  a 
whirlwind,  which  is  spinning  around  the  water  in 
ith  irreat  velocity,  lashing  it  into  a  foam,  and 
in     a  vuluni'   of  it  from   all  sides  into  a  cuiie  or 
Ahi,  h  risrs  and   lulls  convulsively.     Directly,  the 
•  •loud,  which   has  all  the  while   accompanied   the  whirl- 
win  1.   <>p  ns    in   the   middle,  just  above  the  little  cen- 
tral peak,  and  a  long,  narrow  tube  or  tongue  shoots  down 
toward  th«-  water.     It  is  returned  again  to  the  cloud,  and 
14 


)  GO  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE. 

now  the  peak  ascends  to  meet  it.  They  do  not  succeed, 
and  each  returns  again  to  its  place,  only  however  for  an- 
other trial ;  and  this  time  the  two  minute  tubes  touch, 
the  junction  is  effected,  the  pipes  instantly  swell  to  larg^ 
dimensions — still  remaining  smalLr  in  the  middle,  how- 
ever, than  they  are  at  any  other  other  portion  of  the  r 
body — and  the  water  begins  to  pass  in  a  thin  column  up 
through  the  center  of  the  spout.  That  the  salt  water 
of  the  ocean  actually  goes  up  into  the  cloud  and  there 
remains,  is  not  probable  ;  but  it  certainly  goes  part  of  the 
way  up.  All  this  time,  the  spout  is  moved  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  It  has  the 
precise  shape  of  an  hour-glass,  and  makes  a  dull  hissing 
roar,  apparently  caused  by  the  constant  and  rapid  com- 
motion of  the  waters  within  its  circumference.  It  some- 
times happens  that  a  cloud  coquettes  for  a  long  time 
with  the  whirlwind,  but  is  not  able  finally  to  form  a  con- 
nection with  the  ocean,  and  it  at  last  turns  away,  as 
though  in  disgust  at  its  ill  success.  In  such  cases,  the 
whirlwind  evidently  lacks  strength  to  raise  the  water 
of  the  ocean  skyward.  I  was  never  fortunate  enough  to 
see  one  in  the  act  of  breaking,  although  I  have  frequently 
heard  them.  'Their  fall  causes  a  loud  noise,  somewhat 
like  the  breaching  of  a  whale,  or  distant  thunder,  and 
the  mass  of  falling  water  makes  a  great  turmoil  in  the 
ocean. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

ARRIVAL  at  Java  Head  —  Javanese  Bum-boats  —  Batavia  —  The 
.Native  Boatmen  —  Sail  for  China' —  Sea  Serpents  —  Becalmed 
off  Borneo  —  Nearly  Ashore  —  Short  Allowance  of  Water  — 
Th  •  Commodore's  Water-Curc  —  Wormy  Bread. 

AT  length  one  rainy  morning,  the  joyful  cry  of  "land 

ho !  "  from  an  old  quartermaster  who  had  for  some  hours 

been  perched  aloft,  spy -glass  in  hand,  announced  that  we 

i  't  far  (ii-taut  from  our  haven.     By  the  aid  of  a 

reczc,  eight  bells  in  the  afternoon   found   us 

at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor.     But  slight  mention 

.<*retofore  been  made  of  the  little  si  >op-of-war  that 

paired  us  on  our  voyage.     The  sailing  qualities  of 

our  ship  were  so  far  superior  to  hers,  that  it  was  found 

to  keep  her  in  sight,  astern,  without  our  going 

iitly  under  short  sail,  or  lying  to,  several  hours  out 

nty-four.     Her  captain  had  therefore  received 

•  iling  directions  shortly  after  leaving  Rio,  and  we 

Boon  after  lost  sight  of  her,  astern,  and  left  her  to  make 

the  1>  st  <>f  her  way  to  Java  alone,     ^e  were  now  eager 

to  know  if  she  had  gotten  in  before  us,  and  every  eye 

ra  ined  ;n  we  slowly  rounded  the  point  behind  which 

an  -1 1.. rage,  to  see  if  there  was  any  vessel  in  har- 

•  ling  her.     A  man  upon   the  mainroyal  yard, 


162  MAN-OF-WAK     LIFE: 

who  was  able  at  that  hight  to  look  over  a  portion  of  the 
land,  reported  a  vessel  at  anchor  within. 

"  Can  you  make  her  out  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  She's  a  large  ship,  with  black  yards,  and  painted 
ports,  sir." 

"Do  you  think  she  looks  like  our  consort  vessel ? ** 
sung  out  the  commodore. 

After  a  good  look,  <l  I  can't  tell,  sir,"  was  the  answer. 

And  we  did  not  ascertain  that  it  was  she,  until  having 
fairly  rounded  the  point  and  opened  out  the  anchoring 
ground,  we  were  able  to  exchange  signals  with  her.  As- 
soon  as  we  brought  to,  her  captain  came  on  board,  and 
we  learned  from  the  boat's  crew  that  they  had  been  lying 
here  three  days  already,  waiting  for  us.  Verily,  the 
battle  is  not  to  the  strong,  nor  the  race  to  the  swift. 

We  found  that  she  also  had  been  in  the  gale  off  the 
Cape,  having  lost  there  a  flying  jibboom,  and  had  her 
larboard  head  stove  in  by  a  sea.  They  had  not,  however, 
experienced  the  succeeding  calm  and  heavy  sea,  which 
had  tossed  us  about  so  unmercifully. 

Scarcely  was  the  anchor  down  and  the  sails  furled, 
before  a  number  of  bum-boats  put  off  from  shore,  for  the 
ship.  As  it  was  nearly  supper-time,  they  were  permitted 
to  come  alongside,  and  were  immediately  filled  by  a 
crowd — some  to  buy,  but  most  to  look  at  the  articles 
displayed. 

There  was  but  very  little  money  at  this  time  among 
the  crew,  and  many  a  poor  fellow  was  obliged  to  content 
himself  with  casting  longing,  lingering  looks  at  the  deli- 
cious fruits  which  were  here  brought  off.  I  had  spent 
my  last  dump  at  Bio,  and  should  have  been  moneyless 


JAVA     HEAD THE     MALAYS.  1  0  :"5 

myself,  had  not  the  purser  fortunately  served  out  three 
months'  (frog  money  to  the  boys  a  few  days  before  we 
made  the  land.  On  iny  share  of  this,  amounting  to  the 
sura  of  one  dollar  and  eighty  cents,  I  depended  for  bum- 
boat  money  during  all  the  time  we  should  pass  in  these 
seas.  I  therefore  hoarded  it  pretty  closely,  and  devoted 
the  first  evening  to  a  preliminary  observation  of  the  con- 
tents of  the  boats,  determined  not  to  invest  until  I  had 
made  sure  of  the  best. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  among  all  the  wonders  ex- 
posed to  my  eager  eyes  in  the  bum-boats,  not  the  least 
was  the  old  Malay  bum-boatman  himself.    I  had  read  at 
home  wonderful  stories  of  the  treacherous  and  murderous 
dispositions  of  the  natives  of  these  islands,  and  looked 
upon  the  straight-haired,  high-cheekboned  old  fellow  who 
was  seated  before  me,  cross-legged,  in  a  very  easy  style 
of  undress    (he  had   only  a  rag  round  his  middle) ,  with 
a  kind  of  secret  awe,  not  knowing  but  the  hand  which 
was  now  holding  out  to  me  a  delicious   mangosteen,  had 
ere  now  reached  forth  the  poisoned  cup ;  not  certain  that 
•ice  which  was  now  mildly  entreating  me  to  "buy 
nut,   master;    only  two  pice,"  had  not  rung  out 
ly  in  the  murderous  fray. 

•*  No  buy,  eh  ?  "  repeated  the  old  fellow,  for  the  third 
or  fourth  time,  as  he  turned  from  me  to  some  better 
customer. 

:  somebody  else  presently  claimed  my  attention. 
In  moving  about,  I  had  inadvertently  stepped  upOTi  the 
toes  of  a  good-sized  monkey,  who  was  brought  along  for 
sale.  He  set  up  a  most  horrible  screech,  and  leaped 
upon  m<\  winding  his  long  arms  about  my  neck,  trying 


164  MAN-OF-WAR     L  I  ¥  E  ' 

to  scratch  rue.  Eortunatjly  he  had  been  muzzled,  else 
I  should  have  fared  but  poorly  in  his  clutches.  Getting 
rid  of  the  disgusting  animal,  1  tojk  a  look  around  me. 

What  a  profusion  and  variety  of  fruits!  Oranges, 
bananas,  and  cocoa-nuts  formed  the  staples,  to  which 
must  be  added  the  soft  guava,  the  cooling  pomegranate, 
the  shaddock,  looking  and  tasting  somewhat  like  a  large 
orange,  the  mountain  apple,  and  a  dozen  other  varieties, 
concluding  with  that  most  incomparably  delicious  of  all 
fruits,  the  mangosteen.  Glorious  mangosteen !  whose 
sugary  pulp  melts  in  your  mouth,  and  leaves  you  only  to 
regret  the  too-quickly  fading  aroma  which  has  filled  yonr 
senses.  It  is,  in  shape  and  color,  somewhat  like  a  large 
walnut,  before  the  outside  green  rind  is  taken  off  it.  Not 
unlike  this  rind  or  shell,  too,  is  the  peel  of  the  mangos- 
teen, which  is  stripped  off  in  sections,  exposing  to  view  a 
soft  faint-reddish  and  violet-colored  pulp,  having  a  taste 
half  sweet,  half  acid,  and  an  aroma — as  though  all  the 
spices  of  all  the  spije  islands  were  here  combined. 

Add  to  all  these  fruits  an  almost  inexhaustible  variety 
of  birds,  from  that  diminutive  twitterer,  the  Java  spar- 
row, to  the  parrot,  and  monkeys  of  all  sorts  sizes,  colors, 
and  prices,  from  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  to  two  and  a-half 
dollars,  and  the  reader  has  before  him  a  Javanese  bum- 
boat.  Fancy  the  feelings  of  the  poor  fellows  who,  finding 
themselves  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives  among  these 
luxuries,  are  debarred  the  enjoyment  of  them,  by  the 
lack  of  means  to  purchase ;  yet  this  was  the  situation  of 
the  greater  part  of  our  ship's  crew. 

Naval  commanders  make  it  their  duty  to  hoard  up 
poor  Jack's  money  for  him — keeping  it  carefully  out  of 


BAT  A  VI  A  llj.~> 

nis  hands  during  an  entire  three  years'  cruise,  among  all 
the  curiosities  and  harmless  luxuries  of  foreign  lands,  in 
oidcr  that  he  may  have  a  chance  to  spend  his  pile  in 
drunken  orgks  at  the  end  of  the  cruis.\  However  unjust 
ii nd  impolitic  such  a  course  seems,  it  is  the  one  almost 
universally  adopted  in  the  navy. 

( Hir  crew  received  but  ten  dollars  per  man,  of  their 
wages,  in  the  course  of  a  cruise  lasting  three  years,  and 
that  was  given  to  them  in  \7alparaiso,  where  almost  every 
cent  of  it  was  spent  in  a  three  days'  drunken  frolic  o  i 
shore. 

From  Java  Head,  the  commodore  proceeded  overland  to 
Batavia,  and  in  a  few  days  a  Dutch  steamer  was  sent 
around  to  tow  our  ship  into  Batavia  Bay.  Here  we  la/ 
for  four  weeks,  just  out  of  sight  of  the  city,  which  i  \ 
nine  miles  distant  f.orn  the  outer  anchorage.  Here  our 
ival  Kast  Indian  life  began. 

The  heat  of  the  sun  and  the  prevalence  of  malaria 

this  one  of  the  most  fatal  places  to  Europeans  or 

-.  in  all  the  East.     Strict  orders  were,  therefore, 

•  by  the  su  -geon,  that  no  one  was  to  be  exposed  to 

these  influences,  and  a  course  was  adopted  which,  in  great 

-are,  preserved  health  on  board  ship. 

All  hands  were  called  at  four  o'clock,  A.  M.  From  then 
till  six.  the  decks  were  scrubbed,  the  bright-work  cleaned, 
and  ev  rything  cleared  up.  At  six,  which  is  in  these 
tropiral  regions  the  hour  of  sunrise,  the  awniiurs  were 
1  tor--  and  aft,  curtains  drawn  down  from  th-.-  awn- 
in.irs  t  •  the  t<  j>  of  the  rail,  excluding  <>U  th"  sun,  and  the 
balance  of  the  day  was  devoted  to  sewing,  reading,  talk- 
inir.  «>r  tl:  '/• 


K>  6  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

The  awnings  produce  an  agreeable  current  of  air  along 
the  upper  deck  of  the  vessel,  making  it  pleasantly  cool. 
The  open  ports  afforded  us  delightful  views  of  the  low 
shore,  with  its  thick  jungle  of  dark  cool-looking  green. 
The  only  drawback  to  our  enjoyment  (and  to  me  it  was  a 
most  material  one) ,  was  that  we  were  debarred  from  all 
contact  with  the  shore,  which,  looking  so  quietly  beauti- 
ful, was  yet  said  to  contain  within  its  umbrageous  shades 
the  germ  of  every  fatal  fever. 

Even  our  boats'  crews  remained  on  boa:d,  three  boats' 
crews  of  Malays  performing  all  the  boating  duty.  These 
boatmen  were  objects  of  much  curiosity  to  me.  They  were 
brought  on  board  one  day  by  a  Malay  gentleman,  a 
swarthy,  ferocious-looking  fellow,  with  a  fierce  moustache 
and  keen  eye,  and  a  snake-like  gliding  in  his  walk, 
which  put  one  somehow  in  mind  of  the  long,  curved, 
glistening  kryss  he  carried  by  his  side,  of  which  weapon 
these  people  know  how  to  make  such  fearful  use.  Far 
different  from  him,  in  appearance,  however,  were  the 
poor  fellows  who  were  hired  to.  do  our  drudgery  of  boat- 
ing. These  are  stolid-faced  men,  with  a  look  of  bloated 
brutality,  and  a  treacherous,  thieving  twinkle  in  their 
little  eyes,  which  makes  one  involuntarily  shrink  from 
them. 

They  all  chew  the  betel  nut,  with  lime.  Their  teeth 
and  lips  are  in  consequence  as  black  as  ink,, and  their 
capacious  mouths,  \\hcn  open,  remind  one  of  an  tutwhite- 
washed  sepulchre.  They  slept  upon  deck,  and  were 
under  the  direction  of  an  old  man.  who  was  their  sercmg 
or  boatswain,  and  whom  they  implicitly  obeyed.  They 
spoke  but  little  English,  but  the  gift  of  an  occasional 


T  II  K      *  '!'  11  A  I  T  S     O  if      M  A  C  A  S  ri  A  11 .  107 

biscuit  made  the  old  serang  ray  friend,  and  he  used  to 
entertain  me  with  wonderful  stories  of  serpents  and  of 
the  far-famed  Upas  t.ee  of  Java,  the  last  of  his  yarns 
always  exceeding  iu  incredibility  all  former  samples,  until 
«me  day,  I  took  him  to  account  for  lying  so.  His  black 
mouth  opened  wide,  and  with  an  easy  grin,  he  replied : 

44  Oh  !  raassa,  me  tink  you  b'lieve  all.  But  neber  mind, 
I  stuff  somebody  else.  Green-horns  swallow  um  so,"  and 
he  took  down  half  a  biscuit  to  exemplify  the  way  in 
which  his  wonders  were  hoisted  i;i. 

Having  taken  in  our  due  supp'y  of  water,  the  necessity 
for  which  was  the  principal  cause  of  our  stoppage  here 
we  once  more  got  under  weigh,  and  proceeded  to  sea. 
this  time  bound  direct  to  China. 

It  had  been  determined,  that  on  leaving  Batavia  we 
should  stand  over  toward  Bo.ne),  and  enter  the  China 
Sea  by  way  of  the  St  aits  of  Macass  .r  and  the  Sooloo 
Ar  liij-.-la.L'  •.  a  rather  dangerous  path  for  a  large  ship,  or 
for  any  ship  in  fact,  but  chosen  on  this  occasion  because 
the  lateness  of  the  season,  in  regard  to  the  monsoons, 
\vould  allow  us  better  slants  by  this  way,  than  going  by 
the  usual  aud  more  open  passage  of  the  Straits  of  Gaspar, 
and  past  the  entrance  of  the  Gulf  of  Siam. 

Gliding  slowly  along  the  smooth  water,  we  were  scarcely 
out  of  sight  of  the  higher  points  of  Java  before  the  tall 
peaks  of  Borneo  hove  in  sight  By  the  aid  of  several 
little  cat's  paws,  or  light  flaws  of  wind,  we  succeeded,  iii 
a  week  from  the  date  of  leaving  Batavia,  in  entering  the 
Straits  of  Ma  assar,  having  then  Borneo  on  our  left,  and 
on  on,  ri-ht  (  t'lebes,  the  largest  of  the  group  denominated 
the  Si.kv  Islands. 
15 


168  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

Drifting  along  one  chy,  near  the  latter  island,  oie 
looking  over  the  bows,  descried  a  snake  leisurely  basking 
upon  the  water,  close  aboard,  the  ship  not  making  ripple 
enough  to  disturb  him.  A  veritable  sea-serpent,  he  was 
to  be  sure;  not,  certainly,  of  the  dimensions  usually 
ascribed  to  that  animal,  for,  as  far  as  I  could  judge, 
watching  him  as  he  slowly  d lifted  astern,  he  was  not 
more  than  ten  feet  long,  but,  nevertheless,  a  sea-serpent. 
Let  no  one  say  that  the  tou2;h  yarns  which  occasionally 
appear  in  the  papers,  to  the  delight  of  wonder-imbibing 
shores-men,  are  not  at  least  <%  founded  on  fact." 

These  salt  water  snakes  are  not  often  met  with  in  the 
latitude  where  we  saw  this  specimen,  but  they  abound  on 
the  lonely  coasts  of  New  Holland,  and  not  un£  equen  tly 
prove  troublesome  to  the  whale-men,  who  frequent  the 
bays  of  that  and  adjacent  islands,  in  pursuit  of  the 
humpback  whale.  Their  bite  is  said  to  be  a  deadly 
poison,  and  the  miserable  natives  of  New  Holland,  who 
enter  the  water  boldly  to  contend  with  the  voracious 
shark  for  a  meal  of  blubber,  run  affrighted  from  the 
vicinity  of  one  of  these  animals.  The  specimen  which 
we  saw,  was,  as  before  said,  apparently  about  ten  feet 
long,  very  thick  for  its  length,  of  a  dark  red  color,  its 
scales  shining,  like  burnished  copper.  It  was  furnished 
with  a  fin  on  its  tail,  somewhat  like  that  of  an  eel,  and 
had  probably  in  addition  two  little  side  fins,  although 
we  did  not  notice  these. 

Getting  under  the  tall  peaks  of  Borneo,  we  lay  for  some 
days  becalmed,  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  currents,  which 
are  very  capricious  and  irregular  in  these  narrow  seas. 
On  the  third  day,  we  had  drifted  close  in  shore,  under  an 


A     CALM      NEAR     BORNEO.  1G9 

iimurns:'  mountain,  win  h  had  on-e  been  a  volcano. 
Toward  uftcruojn,  it  became  apparent  that  the  current 
was  setting  the  vessel  directly  toward  the  land,  now  not 
above  two  miles  off,  and  that,  unless  there  came  a  breeze, 
evening  would  find  us  in  close:  proximity  to  the  sho;-e 
than  was  desirable,  with  a  ship  of  such  heavy  d  aught 
as  ours. 

There  were  indications  of  a  coming  breeze  all  day,  but 
we  waited  in  vain  for  its  arrival.  Our  sails  hung  listlessly 
against  thj  masts,  and  not  a  ripple  disturbed  the  mil  ror- 
like  surface  of  the  ocean.  We  ha  1  tried  in  vain  to  get 
.-oundin^s,  finding  no  bottom  with  a  hundred  fathoms  of 
Hue  out ;  and  our  hopes  of  being  able  to  anchor,  should  we 
!e  carried  in  too  close,  were  lut  faint,  as  these  islan  :s 
not  unfrc'iuently  rise  stiaight  up  from  the  bottom  o  '  the 
:  ca,  and  a  ship  of  the  line  might  run  her  jib-boom  ashore, 
&nd  then  not  find  bottom  with  her  longest  chain  cable.* 

This  being  the  situation  of  affairs,,  and  sundown  >.orni.  g 
on,  without  the  expected  breeze,  the  boats  were  gotten 
out  t.nd  sent  ahead  to  tow  her  bow  off  shore,  and 
vor  to  stem  the  current.  The  natives  had  been 
watching  our  motions,  or  rather  lack  of  motions,  all  d:  y 
and  as  soon  as  it  was  dark  built  a  huge  firo  on  the  spot 
on  which  they  evidently  expected  the  ship  to  go  iisho.e. 
It  was  for  some  time  a  qu2stion  whether  our  bo.ts  <;id 
in  IK- h  good,  although  the  crews  were  u'ged  to  the  most 
8  ivimous  exertions  by  the  capt.in  and  first  lieuten.nt. 

lint  ah  ut  ten  o'clock,  avast  cloud  win  h  Ir.al  gathered 
over  our  heads,  emptied  its  contents  on  us   ,  nd  tli 
soon  started  up  a  little  breeze,  by  the  aid  of  which  we 
were  enabled  in  a  short  time   to  incivas    our 


170  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

from  the  beach,  to  the  manifest  disappointment  of  the 
natives,  whose  shouts  had  for  sometime  come  to  us  faintly 
over  the  still  waters. 

The  dysentery  had  made  its  appearance  on  board 
shortly  after  our  arrival  at  Batavia,  attacking  most 
severely  several  of  the  stoutest  and  heartiest  of  the  crew. 
The  chief  surgeon  was  of  opinion  that  the  water  obtained 
there,  which  was  rain-water  collected  during  the  rainy 
season  in  vast  tanks,  on  which  the  entire  city  depends 
for  its  supply  of  drinking  water,  was  a  fruitful  source 
of  sickness,  on  account  of  its  impurity. 

In  order  to  lessen  the  evil,  therefore,  as  muc*i  as  possi- 
ble, we  were  placed  upon  an  allowance  of  three  quarts  of 
water  per  day  per  man,  three  pints  of  which  were  used  for 
cooking  purposes,  thus  leaving,  to  quench  our  thirst,  only 
the  pittanje  of  three  pints  for  twenty-four  hours.  When 
it^  is  taken  into  consideration  that  this  WuS  under  an 
Indian  sky,  where  the  slightest  exertion  in  working  ship, 
or  other  labor,  makes  one  pant  with  thirst,  it  may  be 
supposed  that  our  allowance  was  small  enough  for  the 
most  economical.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  grumbling, 
especially  among  the  old  tars,  who  swore  great  oaths  at 
"  Old  Chew-Your-Bcans,"  as  the  surgeon  was  nick- named, 
from  a  way  he  had  of  tracing  nearly  all  the  ills  that 
sailor  flesh  is  heir  to,  to  the  lack  of  properly  masticating 
their  food. 

Nevertheless,  the  old  doctor  was  right,  and  many  a 
hearty,  hale  tar  doubtless  owed  his  continued  life  and 
health  to  the  wise  forethought  of  the  very  man  whom  he 
was  condemning  as  an  old  humbug.  Some  of  the  fore- 
topmen  took  the  matter  more  to  heart  than  any  of  the 


S  II  0  K  T      A  L  L  0  W  A  N  C  K     OF      WATER.  171 

rest,  and  a  party  of  them  conceived  the  brilliant'idea  of 
in uk ing  an  appeal  to  the  humanity  of  the  commodore,  by 
causing  him  to  be  informed  that  c  rtain  of  their  number 
had  been  reduced  to  such  extremity,  by  thirst,  as  to  be 
••Minpell  d  to  satisfy  their  longings  with  salt  water.  The 
Commodore's  private  servant  was  bribed  to  state  this  yarn 
t »  his  master,  on  his  own  responsibility,  which  he  duly 
<li<"'. 

Their  plan  did  not  appear  to  work,  as  for  some  days 
heard  of  no  results.  Finally,  one  morning  after 
i|iiarters,  the  boatswain's  m  .tes  were  sent  all  over 
to  call  aft  on  the  half-deck  all  who  had  at  any 
time  been  induced,  through  extreme  thirst,  to  drink  salt 
water.  This  was  a  windfall  to  our  party  of  conspiring 
tars,  who  now  marched  quickly  aft,  congratulating  them- 
selves on  the  success  of  their  labors.  Their  names  were 
i  down  by  the  first  lieutenant  "at  the  commodore's 
desire."  he  informed  them,  and  a  half-dozen  of  the  after- 
guard and  waisters  also  gave  in  theirs,  happy  in  the 
hope  of  thereby  getting  an  increased  allowance  of  water. 

I  felt  sorry  myself  that  I  had  not  yet  laved  my 
thirst  from  old  ocean,  that  I  too  might  come  in  for  the 
ted  extra  allowance.  Curiosity  was  aroused  as  to 
what  \vere  to  be  the  consequences  of  this  taking  down 
iiame.s,  and  various  speculations  were  hazarded  as  to  who 
\vere  to  have  the  additional  portion  of  the  water,  whethei 
the  entire  crew,  or  only  those  who  "  had  sent  up  their 
cards  to  the  old  man,"  as  one  of  the  number  facetiously 
remarked. 

I'r  risely  at  seven  bells,  all  hands  were  called  up 
"  to  witness  punishment,"  and  the  master-at-arms  and 


172  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

chief  boatswain's  mate  were  heard  calling  loudly  for 
those  whose  names  were  on  the  list  of  salt-water  drink- 
ers. They  were  mustered  up  to  the  gangway,  where  the 
grating  and  the  cats  gave  them  a  tolerable  guess  at  the 
fate  that  awaited  them. 

Directly  the  commodore  came  out  of  the  cabin,  and 
walked  to  the  gangway,  looking  as  fierce  as  a  trooper. 
Surveying  the  crowd  ranged  before  him  for  a  moment, 
he  said : 

"  H — m,  so  you  fellows  drank  salt  water,  did  you  ?  " 
looking  at  a  paper.  "  Here,  John  Jones." 

"  Here,  sir,"  answered  that  worthy. 

"  Did  you  drink  salt  water,  my  man  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  a  little,"  answered  John  Jones,  willing  to 
crawl  out  of  the  scrape,  but  unable  to  see  the  slightest 
crevice. 

"  How  much?" 

"  Only  about  a  pint,  sir." 

"  Master-at-arms,  strip  John  Jones." 

And  John  Jones  was  seized  up  and  received  six  with 
cats.  And  so  the  whole  list  of  seamen  who  had  "  sent 
up  their  cards  "  in  the  morning,  was  gone  through  with, 
each  one  receiving  half  a  dozen.  The  landsmen  were 
omitted,  to  their  very  evident  gratification. 

After  the  flogging  was  through  with,  the  commodore 
said: 

"  Now,  I  suppose,  you  fellows  want  to  know  why  you 
have  been  punished.  I'll  tell  you.  It's  for  drinking 
salt  water.  I  want  to  let  you  know,  that  aboard  my 
ship  no  one  is  allowed  to  drink  anything  but  fresh  water, 
or  whatever  may  be  in  the  regular  ship's  allowance.  I 


Till:     COMMODORE     TURN'S      DOCTOR.       173 

am  '».  re  to^udge  of  what  amount  of  water  you  need.  I 
•ily  the  regular  allowance  of  three  <;uurts  myself; 
a  in  I  if  any  man  is  really  suffering,  I'll  divide  my  allow- 
ance with  him — but  you  sharit  drink  salt  water!  I 
didn't  punish  you  waisters,  because  you  are  poor,  ignorant 
fellows,  who  knew  no  better,  but  the  seamen  should  set 
a  better  example.  Let  me  hear  i f  n )  more  salt-water 
drinking.  Boatswain  pipe  down." 

It  is  scarcely  ne^essa;y  to  add,  that  no  more  reports  of 
that   kind  were  sent  up  to  head-quarters.     It  "  didnt 

fay" 

From  the  time  of  our  having  Batavia,  it  had  been 

foretold,  by  some  of  the  old  men  who  were  familiar  with 
seas,  that  we  should  have  a  long  and  tedious  pas- 
sage.    And  so  it  proved.     The  little  breeze  which  had 
carried  us  into  the  entrance  of  the  Macassar  Strait  was 
drd  by  a  persistent  head  wind,  which  kept  us  beat- 
l»out,  now  hindered,  now  forwarded  by  the  currents 
which  h  re  abound,  for  several  weeks. 

Meantime,  the  long  spell  of  hot  weather  was  beginning 
to  tell  upon  the  crew,  many  of  whom,  notwithstanding 
the  utmost  carefulness  on  the  part  of  the  surgeons,  were 
taken  with  the  dysentery.  The  heat  began  also  to  affcjt 
the  provisions,  and  more  particularly  the  bread.  It  has 
l>efore  mentioned,  that  this  was  stowed  in  a  bread- 
room,  taking  up  a  large  portion  of  the  stem  of  the 
vessel.  Notwithstanding  this  was  kept  as  tightly  closed 
'  as  possible,  the  bread  had  for  s  .me  time  been  full  of 
wo-vils  little  gray  bugs,  looking,  on  a  minute  i  9] 
somewhat  like  u  miniature  dq>ha'.t.  They  have  ; 
boscis,  or  trunk,  just  like  that  animal,  are  about  the  size 


171  M  A  X  -OF—  W   A  R     LI   F  E  : 

of  a  small  ant,  and  hop  about  like  a  flea.  It  wag 
rr/ccssavy  to  split  a  biscuit  in  halves  before  eating  it,  to 
shake  these  little  fellows  out — although  this  trouble  was 
not  always  taken. 

Now,  however,  a  more  serious  evil  infected  our  bread. 
The  biscuit  suddenly  be:-ame  infested  with  white  worms, 
(it  is  no  use  to  shrink  from  the  tale,  'tis  the  plain  truth,) 
and  these  disgusting  animals  ate  out  all  the  inside  of  the 
biscuits,  leaving  nothing  for  us  who  got  it  at  second- 
hand but  a  thin  and  tasteless  crust.  Yet  this  bread 
we  were  compelled  to  cat — for  there  was  none  other.  At 
first  it  went  pretty  hard  with  us,  but  what  will  not 
custom  and  hunger  do. 

I  had  always  fancied  that  the  stories  of  worm-eaten 
bread,  and  water,  the  smell  of  which  would  cause  violent 
nausea,  were  a  little  more  than  apocryphal ;  but  here  we 
experienced  both.  I  have  seen  drinking  water  pumped 
out  of  our  tanks,  into  a  butt  on  de:k,  which  smelt  so 
abominably  as  to  make  any  approach  to  it  utterly  impos- 
sible, ere  it  had  stood  in  the  open  air  an  hour  or  two. 

The  gases  arising  from  it,  as  it  issued  from  the  pump, 
would  cover  the  paint  all  over  the  vessel  with  a  copper- 
colored  sediment,  which  it  was  almost  impossible  to  get 
off.  And  I  have  seen  a  biscuit  literally  crawl  off  the 
mess-cloth,  on  which  stood  the  mess  dinner. 

But  let  us  leave  this  subject.  It  was  only  mentioned 
as  one  of  the  incidents  of  the  voyage — incident  to  every 
India  voyage — and  to  show  how  sailors  do  fare  some- 
times, and  not  unfrequently  either.  . 


CHAPTER  X. 

DEATH  of  a  Lieutenant  —  Funeral  at  Sea — Pedro  Blanco-— 
China  —  The  Pilot  —  Lintin  Bay  —  The  Bocca  Tigris  —  Chi- 
nese Forts  —  Junks  —  The  Tartars — Bumboats — The  River- 
Chinese  Children  —  The  Duck  Boats  —  A  Visit  to  Manilla  — 
The  Cholera  on  Board  —  Return  to  Macao  —  Amoy  —  The 
Crew  ask  for  "Liberty,"  and  are  refused  —  The  Chinese 
Governor  —  Chusan. 

SHORTLY  after  we  left  Batavia,  one  of  our  lieutenants 
did  very  Suddenly — and  was,  of  course,  buried  at  sea. 
Tliis  \\as  not  the  first  death  on  board,  by  several,  but  as 
this  was  the  first  and  only  occasion  duiing  our  whole 
cruise  on  which  the  entire  ceremonies  provided  for  funeral 
<xv;i<ions  at  sea  were  gone  through  with,  it  is  a  proper 
place  in  which  to  make  some  mention  of  them. 

The  body  of  the  deceased  officer  was  laid  out  on 
trestles,  on  the  half-deck,  and  covered  over  with  the  union 
jack,  until  the  time  came  for  committing  it  to  the  deep. 

When  a  sailor  dies  at  sea,  his  corpse  is  sewed  up  in 
thr  hammock  which  has  been  until  that  time  his  bed, 
and  now  becomes  his  shroud.  A  couple  of  thirty- two 
I- Mind  shot  are  enclosed,  next  to  his  feet,  to  bear  the 
body  down  to  the  depths  of  the  o.ean,  which  is  his 

For  our  divi-a.-ed  offi.cr,  the  carpenters  const nk-ud  a 


176  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

plain  deal  coffin,  the  upper  end  of  which  was  bored  full 
of  auger  holes,  a  very  necessary  precaution,  as,  had  it 
been  made  tight  it  would  have  swum  upon  the  surface  in 
place  of  sinking.  In  this,  the  corpse,  dressed  in  full 
uniform,  was  placed,  the  lid  screwed  down,  and  the  whole 
wrapped  about  with  the  union  jack. 

At  seven  bells,  (half-past  eleven,)  the  mournful  call 
of  "  all  hinds  to  bury  the  dead  "  was  heard,  and  the 
crew  were  gathered  upon  the  upper  deck,  the  marines 
paraded  on  the  quarter-deck,  with  arms  reversed,  the 
ensign  was  lowered  to  half-mast,  the  offi;ers  mustered  aft, 
with  crape  on  their  left  arms,  and  all  were  hushed  in 
silence,  as  beseemed  a  company  about  to  commit  a  ship- 
mate to  the  deep. 

The  band,  ranged  upon  the  poop-deck,  played  th it  most 
impressive  of  dirges,  "  the  Dead  March  in  Saul,"  while, 
the  officers  a  ting  as  pall-bearers,  a  chosen  band  of  sea- 
men brought  up  to  the  gangway  the  bier  upon  which 
rested  the  remains  of  poor  lieutenant  T . 

The  coffin  was  placed  upon  a  broad  plank,  one  end  of 
whL-h  pointed  overboard,  and  the  ship  having  been 
brought  to,  before,  by  backing  the  maintop -sail,  the  chap- 
lain advanced,  accompanied  by  the  officers,  and  read  the 
solemn  and  impressive  funeral  service  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  provided  for  burial?  at  sea. 

All  was  still,  almost  as  death  itself,  and  his  low  v^ice 
&  >u:iced  clear  and  distinct  fore  and  aft  the  decks.  As  he 
came  to  the  close  of  the  service,  eight  bells  were  struck, 
and,  at  the  words,  "  we  now  commit  this  body  to  the 
deep,'1  two  gray-haiied  quartermasters  reverently  raised 
the  inner  end  of  the  plank  aloft — there  was  a  momenta]  y 


FUNERAL     AT     SEA.  177 

grating  noise,  a  dull  splash  in  the  water — and  all  that 
was  mortal  of  our  deceased  shipmate  was  gone  to  its  long 
home. 

The  marines  now  advanced  t  j  the  gangway  and  fired 
a  treble  salute  over  tho  grave  of  the  departed,  and  all 
was  over.  The  boatswain  "  piped  down,"  the  maintop- 
sail  was  filled,  and  we  stood  on  our  course. 

The  burial  of  a  foremast  hand  is  conducted  with  much 
less  ceremony.  The  ship  is  not  brought  to,  unless  there 
is  a  very  strong  breeze,  which  makes  it  necessary,  in  order 
to  steady  her. 

Poor  Jack,  sewed  up  in  his  hammock,  is  borne  to  the 
gangway  by  his  mess-mates,  and,  a  portion  only  of  the 
funeral  service  being  read,  the  corpse  is  launched  into 
the  ocean — while  many  a  long  and  lingering  look  is  cast 
after  it  by  those  to  whom  daily  intercourse  has  endeared 
the  departed. 

Many  a  bronzed  and  furrowed  cheek  have  I  s.en  wet 
by  tears  when  committing  to  the  deep  the  remains  of 
some  loved  shipmate,  whose  cheerful  "  aye,  aye  "  would 
never  more  be  heard  by  us — whose  strong  arm  and  sure 
hand  had  stood  by  us  in  many  a  gale  and  tempest. 

A  funeral  at  sea  is  a  deeply  impressive  occasion.  The 
daily,  nay  hourly  intercourse  necessarily  existing  between 
tl:'-  various  individuals  composing  a  vessel's  crew,  does 
not  fail  to  bring  out  all  the  better  qualities  of  the  ni«u, 
and  when  lie  is  gone,  there  is  a  vacant  place  at  the  mess. 
<>u  tho  yard,  at  the  gun,  and  we  feel  that,  we  have  lost  a 
oui'.j.union,  rough  perhaps,  but  kind,  one  who  has  shared 
our  hardships  and  pleasures,  together  with  whom  we  have 
battled  the  storm  and  braved  the  billow.  And  it  is  good 
12 


178  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

to  hear  how,  in  all  after  mention  of  the  departed,  his 
better  qualities  and  deeds  only  are  remembered  ami  the 
vail  of  charity  drawn  over  his  faults. 

Making  our  way  slowly  through  the  straits,  and  be- 
tween the  numerous  isles  of  the  Sooloo  Archipelago,  now 
favored  by  a  little  summer  breeze,  now  becalmed,  and 
drifting  at  the  mercy  of  the  manifold  currents,  we  at 
length  entered  the  China  Sea,  and  by  the  aid  of  a  favor- 
ing breeze  drew  to  the  northward. 

On  December  twenty- fifth,  Christmas  day,  we  made 
land,  being  the  bleak  and  desolate-looking  rock  called 
Pedro  Branco,  lying  in  latitude  twenty-two  degrees  nine- 
teen minutes,  and  longitude  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
degrees,  east,  distant  from  the  mouth  of  Canton  River 
about  two  hundred  miles. 

Much  to  my  surprise,  as  we  neared  the  coast  of  China, 
it  had  been  growing  bitterly  cold,  and  on  Christmas 
morning,  the  weather  was  quite  frosty.  I  had  thought 
the  southern  portion  of  China  to  be  a  land  of  eternal 
summer,  but  now  found  that  the  Celestial  year  was  sea- 
soned with  quite  a  fair  allowance  of  cold. 

On  December  twenty-seventh,  in  the  morning,  we  were 
hailed  by  a  small  Chinese  junk,  from  which  we  received 
a  Chinese  pilot. 

The  first  thing  the  pilot  did,  after  showing  his  creden- 
tials to  the  captain,  and  explaining  to  him  that  if  he  got 
the  vessel  into  difficulty,  his  head  would  pay  the  forfeit, 
was  to  go  aft  and  alter  the  course  very  slightly.  The  next 
thing  was  to  motion  to  the  steward,  whom  he  instinct- 
ively picked  out  of  a  crowd  that  curiosity  to  see  a  live 


THE     CHINESE      PILOT.  179 

specimen  of  the  Celestial  Empire  had  drawn  aft,  to  get 
hi  in  a  light  for  his  segar. 

1 1  was  in  vain  that  the  captain  protested  against  the 
niihrard-o.'  enormity  of  smoking  on  the  411:11  tor-deck. 
In  vain  he  represented  to  him  by  the  most  lively  panto- 
mine — for  the  pi'ot,  very  judiciously,  '•  no  understand 
Inglee" — that  tobacco  was  a  filthy  weed,  and  the  quarter- 
deck of  a  man-of-war  a  most  unsuitable  place  in  which 
to  indulge  in  its  use.  The  more  energetically  the  captain 
motioned,  the  more  obstinately  John  Chinaman  clung 
to  his  segar  ;  and  when  at  last  the  captain  forbade  any 
one  from  getting  "  the  littee  fire  "  which  was  asked  for, 
Johnny  very  sensibly  walked  down  to  the  galley  and 
helped  himself,  and  soon  re-appeared  by  the  side  of  the 
quarter-master  at  the  con,  behind  a  very  good-flavored 
choc  root. 

Favored  by  a  strong  tide  and  fair  wind,  at  ten  o'clock 
that  night,  we  dropped  anchor  in  Lintin  Bay.  We  had 
been  sailing  all  day  at  too  g.eat  distance  from  land  to 
be  able  to  distinguish  anything  except  the  mere  flat 
shore  rising  in  blue  and  black  ridges  above  the  surface 
of  the  waves. 

The  night  was  too  dark  to  see  much  of  the  now  not 
distant  shores,  except  the  dim  outline  and  the  occasional 
faint  glimmer  of  a  light  from  a  poor  fisherman's  hut  on 
the  beach.  We  boys  were  all  excitement  at  the  thought 
of  at  last  being  in  China,  and  after  the  sails  were-  furled 
and  all  was  quiet,  a  little  party  of  us  climbed  into  the 
)»  and  lay  down  tlure,  covering  tarpaulins  and 
]T;I -jackets  over  us  to  keep  out  the  cold,  while  we  looked 
at  the  distant  shore,  so  "chuck  full  "  of  romance  to  us, 


ISO  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

and  laid  out  plans  for  future  adventures,  talked  over  the 
Chinese  wall,  the  grand  canal,  and  the  great  city  of 
Pekin,  where  no  one  was  permitted  to  go,  and  imagined  a 
handled  wonderful  and  romantic  scenes,  in  which,  of 
course,  we  desired  to  be  the  chief  actors. 

I  scarcely  slept  that  night,  so  eager  was  I  to  behold, 
with  my  own  eyes,  some  of  the  wonders  wherewith  I  had 
long  been  regaled  at  second  and  third  hand,  from  books 
of  travel,  geographies,  and  China  plates,  cups  and  sau- 
cers, and  which  I  fondly  hoped  would  find  their  com- 
nienjement  nere  upon  the  borders  of  the  Celestial 
Empire. 

What  was  my  disappointment,  on  going  on  deck  in  the 
morning,  to  find  in  place  of  the  dinner-plate  scene  my 
fancy  had  pictured  out,  nothing  but  a  rather  bleak  and 
sparsely-wooded  shore,  with  a  few  common-looking  huts 
ranaed  along  the  beach,  past  which  swept  a  tide  of  water 
but  very  little  clearer  than  the  Mississippi  itself. 

So  very  "  chancy  "  like  had  the  little  pilot  looked  when 
he  came  on  board  the  preceding  day,  with  his  diminutive 
pig-like  eyes,  his  high  cheek-bones,  his  loose  petticoat 
trowsers,  and  the  tasseled  cap — whereby  hung  a  tail,  or 
queue  of  hair,  descending  to  his  middle — that  I  expected 
at  least  to  wake  up  with  a  pagoda  on  either  side  of  the 
ship,  and  a  tea-garden,  full  manned,  immediately  ahead. 

Shortly  after  breakfast,  wind  and  tide  serving,  we  got 
unclerweigh  and  proceeded  up  the  river,  coming  to  anchor 
however  as  soon  as  the  tide  turned,  as  the  breeze  was 
not  strong  enough  to  carry  us  up  against  the  current. 

While  underweigh,  a  large  American  vessel,  the  Onei 
da,  passed  us,  outward  bound,  with  all  sail  set,  her  little 


THE      liOCCA     TIGRIS.  181 

moon-sails  ami  royal  studding-sails  looking  like  po/kef 
ha  IK  I!-: IT  hie  "3  spread  to  the  breeze.  At  this  anchorage 
\v«-  remained  two  days,  sciubbing  and  cleaning  the  ship, 
ma'  in  ;  her  presentable  to  visicors.  Here  the  commodore 
]i-ft  us  for  Canton,  engaging  on  his  way  up,  and  sending 
on  board,  a  large  quantity  of  potatoes,  and  some  Chinese 
beef,  which  last  is  not  by  any  means  so  tender  or  palat- 
ab'e  as  that  raised  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Having  refitted,  we  once  more  got  underweigh,  this 
time  with  a  head  wind,  to  work  up  to  our  intended  an- 
chorage, at  the  Boc.a  Tigris,  just  below  the  famous 
]tntjne  Forts,  on  which  the  Chinese  placed  so  much 
dep  ndence,  in  their  war  with  England,  to  keep  the 
I  h-itish  barbarians  from  Canton,  and  in  which  it  was 
afte  ward  found  that  the  soldiers  had  been  chained  to 
their  posts,  to  prevent  them  from  running  away,  and  the 
guns  were  imbedded  in  sol'd  masonry,  which,  to  le  sure, 
kept  them  from  kicking,  but  also  rendered  them  entirely 
H  for  firing  at  any  object  not  directly  in  point  blanc 
lanirr  We  reached  the  Bjgue  by  four  days'  hard  labor, 
beatinpr  to  windward  every  in  h  of  the  way,  most  of  the 
time  in  a  very  narrow  channel. 

As  we  got  up  the  river,  the  prospect  began  to  look 
more  China-like.  An  occasional  pagoda,  along  shore, 
peeping  out  from  amid  surrounding  trees,  the  curious 
little  sanpans,  or  row-boats,  which  dot  the  surface  of  the 
river,  and  once  in  a  while  a  vast  junk,  with  great  awk- 
ward mat  sails,  and  her  bow  and  stern  towering  like 
mountains  over  the  water,  the  waist  being  low  enough  to 
jump  aboard — all  these  things  served  to  keep  alive  oui 
y.  and  make  us  enger  to  see  what  was  to  come. 


182  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

Gxtting  higher  up,  we  were  boaided  by  a  mandarin, 'who 
oame  alongside  in  a  mandarin  boat 

These  fellows,  with  their  singular  boats,  are  a  sort  of 
river  police,  for  the  prevention  of  piracies  and  opium 
smuggling.  The  boats  are  very  long  and  narrow,  and  are 
propelled  at  a  tremendous  rate  through  the  water,  by  the 
power  of  oars  alone,  of  which  they  carry  from  forty  to 
sixty  on  a  side.  Their  crews  ranging  from  eighty  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  men,  are  well  armed,  and  each  boat 
generally  carries  a  three  or  four  pound  swivel  in  the 
bows. 

They  often  have  desperate  fights  with  the  pirates  on 
the  river  coast,  and  not  unfrequently  come  off  se:ond  best 
in  these  encounters.  From  the  opium  smugglers  they 
receive  no  meroy,  as  they  give  none;  the  punishment 
attached  to  this  offense  being  the  highest  knjwn  to  the 
Chinese  law,  that  of  squeezing  to  death,  in  a  frame  of 
wood  which  surrounds  the  victim,  and  is  pulled  together 
by  some  peculiar  machinery  att  iched  to  it. 

Once  at  the  Bogue,  preparations  were  made  for  a  long 
stay.  The  sails  were  unbent,  a  mooring  swivel  put  upon 
the  cables,  to  save  the  trouble  of  taking  out  the  turns 
which  get  into  them  by  the  swinging  of  the  ship,  at  the 
turning  of  the  tides,  the  boats  \?ere  gotten  out,  and 
awnings,  not  yet  needed,  on  account  of  the  cold  weather, 
repaired  and  refitted. 

Our  life  during  the  three  months  we  remained  here, 
was  a  very  dull,  monotonous  one. 

The  Bocca  Tigris  or  Bogue,  is  simply  an  anchoring- 
place  for  Jarge  vessels.  It  lies  about  midway  between 
and  Whampoa,  and  there  is  no  town,  or  even 


CANTON      RIVER.  183 

considerable  village  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  The  shores 
of  the  river  here  are  plain,  and  there  is  nothing  to  attract 
tin-  attention  of  the  stranger,  ex  ept  the  now  dismantled 
forts  before  spoken  of,  and  some  pagodas  or  joss-houses, 
\vliciv  the  piously-inclined  Chinese  mariner  leaves  his 
fan-well  propitiatory  oiferinr,  on  going  to  sea. 

The  river  was  the  most  lively  portion  of  the  alt)gether 
dull  scene.  Here  the  Tartar  boats,  the  inhabitants  of 
which,  by  a  decree  of  the  Celestial  Emperors,  are  not 
allowed  to  remain  on  shoie  at  night,  and  thus  live  entirely 
up  n  the  waters,  were  sailing  about  all  day  long.  The 
daily  passage  of  the  regular  Canton  and  Macao  packets, 
called  fast  boats,  probably  because  they  are  not  fast  at 
all,  relieved  somewhat  the  tedium  of  passing  time,  and 
the  occasional  passing  of  some  great  hulk  of  a  Chinese 
. I  unk  with  her  vermillion  streaked  side,  her  many-storied 
poop,  enormous  rudder,  and  great  go;igle  eyes  painted  on 
fin-  bluff  bows,  was  a  grand  event  with  us. 

I  enquired  of  our  Chinese  compradore  (the  individual 
who  furnishes  the  ship  with  all  the  provisions,  etc., 
n  fled,)  the  object  of  these  eyes. 

He  answered  me,  with  a  shrug  of  contempt  at  my 
ignorance : 

"Ayah  !  John,  no  hab  eyes,  how  can  see,"  a  proposition 
so  extremely  logical  as  to  be  unanswerable.  Certainly 
it'  rhinese  sailors  are  no  smarter  than  they  look,  their 
junks  have  need  of  all  the  eyes  they  can  obtain  to  get 
al>ng  safely. 

The  Ixunboats  were  the  places  of  greatest  interest  to 
us,  debarred  as  we  were  from  visiting  the  shore.  Here 

-omcwhat  of  the  manner  of   life  of   the 
L6 


184  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

Tartar  families;  and  in  them,  too,  was  brought  off,  for 
sale,  iJl  that  could  be  obtained  even  at  Canton ;  besides 
a  superabundant  supply  of  fruits,  fresh  and  p  escrved, 
of  all  kinds,  which  grew  plentie.  as  the  season  advanced, 
there  weie  stores  of  ivory  and  sandal  wood  ans,  shawls, 
aad  pictures  of  all  kinds,  and  innumerable  objects  carved 
in  ivory  and  rare  woods,  as  also  Japanned  ware  boxes, 
etc.,  of  rare  and  curious  workmanship. 

The  boatj?  were  all:/ wed  alongside  for  four  hours  each 
day,  and  I  used  to  pass  pretty' much  all  that  time  in 
them,  examining  the  curiosities,  and  watching  the  owners 
cooking,  eating,  and  going  through  their  daily  household 
avocations.  Alas !  poor  me,  I  was  condemned,  along  with 
the  rest  of  the  crew,  to  be  a  longing  looker  on,  having  no 
funds  to  purchase  of  the  many  beautiful  objects  which 
'  delighted  our  eyes. 

Grog  money  being  again  served  out  to  the  boys  while 
we  lay  here,  we  were  occasionally  enabled  to  indulge  in 
some  of  the  delicacies  which  were  displayed  in  the  boats, 
such  as  the  delicious  little  mandarin  oranges,  with  their 
loose  rind,  the  nice  cakes,  and  once  in  a  while  a  pot  of 
preserved  ginger,  or  a  little  package  of  preserved  oranges. 
But  beyond  this  we  were  unwilling  lookers  on  in  our 
limited  sphere.  The  lad  who  starts  to  see  the  world  in 
a,  man-of-war,  thought  I  often  to  myself,  is  a  great  goose, 
for  he  takes  the  very  best  way  not  to  see  anything  of  it. 

The  queer  little  Chinese  children  were  my  great 
delight.  A  little  China  man  is  like  a  little  pig,  or  more 
yet  like  a  little  elephant :  he  is  born  with  ths  same  face, 
the  same  sedate  look,  and  has  (in  their  incipiency,  of 
course,)  the  identical  tail,  and  the  old-fashioned  ways 


CHINESE      CHILDREN.  181 

which  he  will  have  when  he  arrives  at  old  age.     He  ia 
virtually  and  literally  what  he  is  called  —  a  little  China- 


To  prevent  the  diminutive  little  creature  from  drown- 
hould  he  accidentally  crawl  overboard,  a  light  buoy, 
made  of  a  large  calabash,  is  carefully  fastened  under  his 
arms,  and  this  he  drags  with  him,  in  his  perambulations 
about  the  deck,  which  is  his  play  ground.  But  he  doea 
not  play  He  is  already  an  observer,  a  silent  one  (I 
never  heird  a  Chine-  e  baby  cry),  evidently  storing  his 
little  mind  with  u  eful  knowledge,  initiating  him  elf  in'o 
the  mysteries  of  trade,  ami  le  miinjr  tl  e  weak  points  <  f 
the  sui'.ors,  whom,  following  in  the  foot  tcps  of  his  illus- 
trious parents,  ho  is  in  tun-,  in  days  to  con-e,  to  t  he-tit 

Next  to  the  bum-boats,  the  large  duck-boats  which 
sail  up  and  down  the  i  iver  were  the  objects  of  greatest  " 
curiosity  to  us.  Having  to  pass  their  entire  lives  on 
water,  it  is  natural  that  all  manner  of  trades  should 
be  carried  on  by  these  Tartar  people  on  board  th  ir 
floating  homes.  But  the  rearing  of  immense  quantities 
of  ducks  would  seem  to  be  rather  an  out-of-the-way  busi- 
ness to  be  conducted  in  boats. 

The  boats,  which  are  of  large  size,  contain  from  five 
hundred  to  two  thousand  ducks  each,  with  which  their 
owners  sail  about,  stopping  at  regular  intervals  on  the 
shore,  and  allowing  their  stock  to  go  up  into  the  paddy- 
fields,  to  feed.  A  plank  is  placed  at  the  little  door,  by 
which  they  walk  out,  and  march  in  regular  procession  up 
to  the  field. 

After  having  fed  a  sufficient  time,  the  owner,  standing 
HI  the  boat's  deck,  utters  a  peculiar,  loud,  shrill  whistle 


186  MAN-OF-WAR     LIKK: 

on  heaiing  which  the  du;ks  are  seen  waddling  down  to 
their  home  in  the  greatest  haste,  crowding  over  and 
jostling  one  another  in  their  hurry  to  get  aboard.  The 
master  stands  at  the  gangway  with  a  small  stick,  with 
which  he  gives  the  last  one  aboard  a  slight  tap,  as  pun- 
ishment for  his  delinquency.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
bo  it,  there  is  as  much  jostling,  pushing,  and  rudeness 
displayed,  as  at  the  doors  of  some  metropolitan  theater 
when  a  fashionable  player  is  about  to  hold  forth.  It  is 
wonderful  how  so  stupid  a  bird  as  the  duck  can  be 
trained  to  the  performance  of  such  apparently  sensible 
actions  ;  but  the  force  of  example  forms  the  manners  of 
the  young  ones,  and  as  they  grow  up  they  in  turn  commu- 
nicate to  the  rising  generation  their  regular  habits. 

After  lying  at  our  moorings  nearly  eighty  days,  during 
which  time  the  ship's  rigging  had  b:en  thoroughly  refit- 
ted, and  her  hull  scraped  and  painted,  we  at  last  once 
more  lifted  our  anchors  and  set  sail  for  Manilla. 

A  twelve  days'  passage  brought  us  to  this  place,  the 
capital  of  Luzon,  the  largest  of  the  Philippine  group. 
Here,  on  the  day  after  our  arrival,  the  Asiatic  cholera 
made  its  appearance  among  our  crew,  making  of  the  ship 
a  regular  charnel  house.  We  remained  in  the  port  only 
six  days,  during  which  time  twenty  of  our  crew  died  of 
this  disease. 

The  first  victim  was  a  young  friend  of  mine  from 
Philadelphia  Poor  George  and  I  had  spent  the  evening 
talking  about  the  strange  scenes,  and  about  home,  and 
parted  at  nine  o'clock  wondering  whether  we  should  be 
allowed  a  run  ashore  when  we  got  back  to  Macao. 

At  one  o'clock,  I  was  awakened  and  told  that  he  was 


MANILLA TIIBJ     CHOLERA.  187 

dead  I  saw  an  ensi  n  (a  particular  one,  which  was 
used  on  such  occasions)  hung  up  around  the 
l.ct\\:-rn  two  guns  near  my  hammock,  and  peering 
out  over  the  upper  edge,  saw  a  corpse  stretched  out  on  a 
few  rough  boards.  Jumping  out,  I  went  to  view  it.  I 
should  never  have  known  it  for  the  corpse  of  my  old 
friend.  The  cheeks,  lately  so  full  and  flushed  with  health, 
were  sunken.  The  eyes  seemed  to  have  altogether  dis- 
appeared. The  whole  face  was  turned  of  a  dull  yellowish 
black,  and  the  entire  foi  m  of  the  body  appeared  changed. 
He  was  buried  ashore  next  morning. 

Before  another  sun  set,  three  more  had  paid  the  last 
great  debt,  and  men  were  being  taken  down  every  few- 
hours. 

The  next  day,  a  scene  revolting  to  all  the  feelings  of 
humanity  occurred.  There  was  but  one  man  in  the  brig 
\\hen  we  came  into  harbor.  I  do  not  now  remember  his 
offense — it  was  slight,  however.  It  was  judged  by  the 
surgeon  inexpedient  to  keep  any  one  in  confinement  dur- 
ing the  prevalence  of  the  epidemic,  so  he  was  released ; 
but  first,  all  hands  were  called  to  witness  punishment, 
and  the  captain  had  a  dozen  administered  to  him — this 
while  a  corpse  was  lying  on  the  half-deck,  and  two  men 
were  in  the  agonies  of  dissolution  in  the  sick  bay. 

That  night  the  man  who  had  been  flogged  died,  and  as 
-ii  hi>  last  frantic  death  struggle  he  tore  off  his  shirt,  the 
bloody  marks  of  the  cats  were  plainly  visible  upon  his 
back.  A  thrill  of  horror  went  through  the  heart  of 
every  man  on  board,  at  this  horrible  termination  of  an 
unnecessarily  cruel  act  of  discipline. 


IBS  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

We  left  Manilla  as  soon  as  po  siblc,  after  completing 
the  business  which  had  taken  us  there.  It  is  a  splen- 
did harbor,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high,  volcanic 
peaks  and  ridges ;  and  the  city  is  very  beautifully  situ- 
ated. But  it  was  a  fatal  port  for  us.  Some  of  our  best 
men  here  fell  \ictims  to  the  pestilence.  As  soon  as  we 
got  once  more  to  sea,  the  cholera  ceased,  nor  were  we 
troubled  with  it  again. 

But  many  of  our  crew  were  now  down  with  the  dysen- 
tery. The  sick  bay  would  no  longer  hold  them  all,  and 
cots  were  swung  on  the  maindeck,  where  the  emaciated 
sufferers  enjoyed  a  little  better  air,  and  somewhat  more 
the  company  and  attendance  of  their  shipmates.  Those 
attacked  first  and  most  severely  by  this  disease  (and  the 
same  held  good  of  the  cholera) ,  were  invariably  the  most 
robust,  the  heartiest  and  fleshiest  among  the  crew.  Lank, 
bony  fellows  outlived  it  all  without  complaining,  while 
those  who  apparently  had  the  longest  and  surest  lease 
of  life,  were  the  first  to  be  taken  away. 

Eeturning  to  Macao  Eoads,  we  took  on  board  the  Com- 
modore (who  had  not  gone  with  us  on  our  Manilla  trip) , 
and  proceeded  to  Amoy,  one  of  the  north-eastern  ports  of 
China,  and  one  of  the  five  places  at  which  ships  then 
traded.  Here  was  presented  to  our  view  the  first  really 
Chinese  scene  we  had  yet  met  with. 

The  somewhat  steep  hill-sides,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
harbor;  the  dingy-looking  town,  with  its  high  wall;  the 
peaked  and  pagoda  shaped  roofs  of  the  houses ;  the  many 
joss- temples,  lifting  their  queer  little  turrets  above  the 
surrounding  dwellings,  and  the  Chinese  shipping  lying  in 


ASKING      FOR     LIBERTY.  1^9 

the  inner  harbor,  all  united  to  make  just  such  a  scene  aa 
one  might  behold  on  almost  any  of  the  old-fashioned 
waiters  or  plates,  and  I  really  fancied,  so  familiar  did 
tlu  old  place  look,  I  should  be  quite  at  horns  within  its 
walls,  could  I  only  get  there. 

This  being  a  quiet  place,  and  the  vessel  lying  close  t 
tlr    town,  the   crew,  who  had  all  been   for   some   time 
extremely   anxious  for  a  taste  of  "  liberty "   on    shore, 
resolved  to  send  the  petty  officers  aft,  with  a  petition  to 
that  effect. 

Accordingly,  amid  a  most  intense  excitement  on  the 
part  of  all  hands,  a  deputation  of  the  oldest  quarter- 
masters and  boatswain's  mates  made  their  appearance  at 
the  railing  of  the  mainmast,  the  place  of  app  al  or  peti- 
tion for  the  crew,  and  asked  to  see  the  captain.  He 
came  out  to  them,  heard  them  somewhat  impatiently,  and 
curtly  refused  their  request.  And  so,  as  this  was  to  be 
our  last  port  in  China,  our  hopes  of  seeing  anything  of  a 
Chin  se  town,  were  dashed.  We  all,  and  with  justice, 
felt  deeply  indignant  at  this  apparently  wanton  se- 
verity. 

\Vr  had  now  been  over  a  year  on  board,  and  with  the 

exception  of  a  few  boat's  crews,  not  a  soul  but  the  officers 

Ind  as  yet  even  set  his  foot  on  shore.     To  add  to  the 

ration  of  the  crew,  a  few  hours   afterward,  each 

one  of  the  petty  officers  received  five  dollars  in  money, 

tly  int  ndcd  to  act  as  a  quieter  upon  them,  they 

1>  in"  the  regularly  authorized  organs  of  comnumu-ati»>:i 

•  ii  ihe  crew  and  the  superior  officers.     Much  mut- 

toi  iiiLr  niiniy  curses,  "  not  louJ,  but  deep,"  and  not  a  few 

threats  of  future  vengeance  weiv  heard  in  our  midst — 


190  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

but  what  avails  future  threats — the  present  is  what  the 
sailor  unfortunately  lives  for. 

While  lying  here  the  Chinese  authorities  of  the  town 
paid  the  ship  a  visit.  They  were  a  queer -looking  set, 
resembling  in  but  one  thing  the  city  dignitaries  of  a  more 
Christian  country — that  is,  in  fat — they  were,  to  a  man, 
of  truly  aldermanic  proportions. 

They  all  carried  pictures  upon  their  backs  and  breasts, 
large  embroidered  representations  of  birds  or  flowers— 
and  the  Governor,  as  being  the  highest  in  rank,  was  dis- 
tin  uished  by  an  enormous  pair  of  boots,  the  soles  of 
which  were  at  least  three  inches  thick.  As  he  waddled 
along,  with  the  bottoms  of  his  loose  trowsers  just  making 
a  connection  with  the  tops  of  these  boots,  I,  who  with 
several  other  boys,  stood  at  the  side  to  help  his  Highness 
on  board,  could  not  help  thinking  that  he  looked  much 
more  like  some  street  loafer,  than  like  a  sober,  sedate 
satrap  of  the  Brother  of  the  Sun  and  Moon,  and  distant 
relation  of  all  the  Stars. 

We  left  Amoy  with  a  fair  breeze,  and  in  a  few  days 
passed  through  the  Straits  of  Formosa,  and  entered 
Chusan  Bay,  a  lonely  harbor,  where  our  ship  was  to 
remain,  while  the  Commodore  proceeded  to  Shanghai,  on 
board  our  smaller  consort,  the  shallow  waters  of  the  Yel- 
lo  Sea  not  permitting  of  our  approach  to  that  port. 

The  portion  of  Chusan  Bay  in  which  we  were  anchored, 
was  called  Buffalo's  Nose,  from  a  singularly  shaped  pro- 
montory, behind  which  we  were  sheltered.  It  ran  out 
some  distance  into  and  across  the  waters  of  the  Bay,  and 
its  broadside  being  thus  exposed  to  the  action  of  the 
whole  body  of  water  driven  in  from  sea  when  the  wind 


0  H  U  8  A  N B  UPFALO'S     NOSE.  101 

blew  on  shore,  the  waves  had  gradually  washed  a  large 
hollow  through  the  ridge  at  a  place  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  its  outer  extremity.  It  was  in  this  hollow 
«>•  li<>li>,  that  was  supposed  to  consist  the  resemblance  to 
the  nose  of  one  of  the  tame  buffaloes  of  China,  these 
animals  being  guided  by  means  of  ropes  placed  in  a  hole 
pierced  through  the  nasal  cartilage. 
17 


JEAI'TEK  Xi. 

A.  CHINESE  Farm  —  Sail  for  Japan  —  Yeddo  Bay  —  The 
ese  —  Their  general  Appearance  —  Dress  —  Manners  —  No 
bles — Warriors — Serfs — Boats — Receive  Supplies — Incident? 
of  Stay  —  Towed  out  of  the  Harbor  by  Japanese  Boats. 

WHILE  lying  here,  a  party  of  us  boys  were  one  day 
permitted  to  take  a  ramble  on  shore,  in  company  with 
the  first  lieutenant,  who  was  going  on  a  gunning  expedi- 
tion. There  was  a  solitary  little  farm  hut  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  our  anchorage,  and  to  this  our  party 
took  its  way,  determined  to  "  see  what  we  could  see." 

On  beholding  us  approaching,  the  inhabitants,  consist- 
ing of  an  old  man  and  woman,  and  several  little  children, 
iniontinently  took  to  their  heels,  hurriedly  catching  up 
their  most  valuable  .articles  of  wearing  apparel,  and 
leaving  us  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  premises. 
Some  of  us  ran  after  them,  to  persuade  them  to  return, 
but  the  more  we  called  them  the  faster  they  ran,  and  we 
,ve;e  obliged  to  give  them  up  and  explore  the  premises 
alone. 

The  hut  was  built  entirely,  sides,  roof,  and  all,  of  rice 
str.iw,  but  on  entering  we  found  it  (comparatively  speak- 
ing) very  comfortably  arranged  within.  It  was  divided 
into  two  apartments,  the  outer  and  larger  serving 


&     C HI N ES E     FAR M.  193 

evidently  for  kitchen,  dining-ioom,  and  living  room,  the 
i  ;ii;  ]•  containing  some  mats  and  pillows,  for  sleeping,  and 
a  few  articles  of  wearing  appjrtl. 

It  was  plain  that  the  people  lived  a  good  deal  out 
doors,  there  being  several  scats  arranged  under  shade  of 
some  little  trees  in  the  yard,  or  rather  garden.  This 
garden  surrounded  the  house,  and  was  planted  with  seve- 
ral kinds  of  flowers  and  little  shrubs,  which  latter  pro- 
bab  y  also  bore  flowers  in  proper  season.  The  whole  was 
carefully  fenced  in,  the  entrance  being  by  a  little  gate, 
We  found  a  dog  on  the  premises,  who  followed  us  in  our 
peregrinations  about  the  place,  evidently  viewing  us  with 
a  good  deal  of  suspicion. 

Ba  -k  of  the  house  was  an  arrangement  looking  some- 
what like  what  is  called  a  country  bake-oven,  although, 
as  the  poorer  classes  of  Chinese  live  almost  entirely  upon 
boil  d  rice,  I  supposed  it  was  used  for  something  else 
than  baking  bread.  Outside  of  the  garden,  in  another 
littlo  iuclosure,  were  two  stacks  of  rice  straw  for  the 
"stock,"  put  up  precisely  like  hay-stacks  at  home. 

And  beyond  this  was  the  rice  field,  already  stripped 
of  its  crop.  The  whole  place  looked  rather  desolate, 
there  boing  no  trees,  worthy  of  that  name,  within  sight — 
imthing  but  a  dreary  extent  of  paddy-fields.  We  saw  no 
implements  of  husbandry,  except  an  instrument  bearing 
:•  distant  resemblance  to  a  wooden  rake.  Iron  was  evi- 
dently a  scarce  article,  as  the  door  was  hung  on  wooden 

The  house  had  no  window.     Having  satisfied  our  curi- 
osity, and  j> irked  a  few  flowers  as  mementoes,  we  departed, 
leaving  on  the  ground  (there  was  neither  table,  norchair— 
18 


104  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

nor  floor)  a  mace,  or  string  of  cash,  the  c :pj/er  moiicj  cf 
China,  as  an  evidence  of  our  peaceful  intentions. 

The  cash,  the  only^  coined  circulating  medium  of  the 
Celestial  Empire,  is  a  thin  circular  piece  of  copper  of  the 
value  of  one  mill,  American  currency.  They  are  strung 
together  by  means  of  a  small  cord  put  through  a  s  .uars 
hole  in  each  coin,  a  sting  of  one  hundred,  called  a  mace, 
being  of  the  value  of  ten  cents.  There  is  much  cheat- 
ing practiced  by  the  traders  on  Canton  Eiver  with  these 
cash. 

The  mace  are  deprived  of  their  just  number  of  cash, 
and  inferior  cash,  much  thinner  than  the  legitimate  0-iiess 
put  in  circulation,  which  do  not  pass  in  Amoy  and  other 
ports  to  the  north,  leing  called  "  twicy,"  or  bad, 

On  the  fifth  of  July,  our  conso.t  vessel  ieturne:l  from 
Shanghai,  with  the  commodore,  who  brought  \\  ith  him  an 
official  report  of  the  declaration  of  war  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico,  news  which  we  had  been  fov 
gome  time  expecting.  We  immediately  proceeded  to  sea, 
bound  for  Japan,  our  commodore  having  been  intruste ! 
by  government  with  the  delivery  of  a  letter  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States  to  the  Emperor  of  Japan, 
expressing  a  desire  to  open  negotiations  for  a  treaty  of 
trade. 

Fourteen  days'  sail,  attended  with  no  incidents  of  ar 
unusual  nature,  brought  us  to  the  entrance  of  Ycddo 
Bay,  situated  on  the  Island  of  Niphon,  the  largest  of  the 
group  composing  the  Japanese  Empire.  On  our  way.  we 
passed  through  the  group  called  the  Loo  Choo  Islands. 
the  inhabitants  of  which  are  equally  uncommunicative 
as  the  .lapanese.  We  did  n A  visit  any  of  them,  as  the 


YEDDO     BAY.  19~> 

commodore  had  determined  to  lose  no  time  in  getting  to 
the  Pacific  coast  of  North  America,  to  lend  the  aid  of  our 
1  in  any  movements  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment on  that  coast. 

On  the  day  before  entering  Yeddo  Bay,  we  met  two 
Japanese  junks,  who  gave  us  however  a  wide  berth,  and 
were  evidently  anxious  to  avoid  us.  On  the  first  of 
August,  we  sailed  into  the  Bay  of  Yeddo,  sounding  as 
we  went,  and  keeping  a  bright  lookout  for  shoals,  as  the 
depth  of  water  was  not  very  well  laid  down  in  the  charts. 
It  is  a  large,  noble-looking  harbor,  almost  entirely  land- 
locked, and  surrounded  by  thickly- wooded,  beautiful-look- 
ing hills. 

No  sooner  were  we  fairly  inside  the  Bay,  than  we  saw 
a  number  of  boats  coming  toward  us  from  several  parts 
of  the  shore.  They  pulled  alongside  and  boarded  us 
without  ceremony,  scrambling  into  the  open  ports,  climbing 
up  by  the  channels,  and  crawling  in  over  the  bows  by  the 
head  rigging,  apparently  choosing  any  mode  of  getting 
aboard  that  seemed  the  easiest. 

We  were  yet  underweigh  when  this  crowd  of  Japanese 
suddenly  boarded  us,  and  as  more  boats  were  leaving  the 
shore  all  the  time,  and  all  who  boarded  us  made  their 
boats  fast  to  the  ship,  it  became  evident  that  they  would 
soon  materially  impede  our  progress  to  the  anchorage,  as 
the  numbers  on  board  already  hindered  all  movements 
about  decks. 

Accordingly,  the  commodore,  who  had  at  once  been 
-sed  by  the  principal  noble  in  the  company,  commu- 
nicated to  him  his  desire  to  have  the  ship  cleared  of  the 
p1  atrr  |,,,iti  i!  ,f  the  strangers  until  we  should  come  to 


196  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

anchor.  This  was  instantly  done,  some  of  the  over-curi- 
ous boats'  crews  bring  severely  beaten  by  the  nobles  and 
chiefs,  in  their  haste  to  get  them  out  of  the  ship.  Cleared 
of  the  boats,  we  quickly  ran  up  to  the  spot  laid  down  as 
the  anchorage,  about  one  and  a-half  miles  from  the 
entrance  of  the  Bay,  and  quite  at  the  head  of  its  lower 
portion. 

Before  coming  to,  the  commodore  had  been  earnestly 
requested  by  the  leading  man  of  the  party  to  take  the 
ship  around  a  bend  in  the  land  into  the  upper  bay,  where, 
he  was  told,  there  was  every  facility  for  landing  our 
guns  and  ammunition,  which  proceeding  was  alluded  to 
as  one  very  natural  under  the  circumstances  and  every 
way  expected.  This  proposal  was,  as  may  be  supposed, 
respectfully  declined. 

It  is  necessary  here  to  say,  that  our  officers  held  com- 
munication with  the  Japanese  officers  by  means  of  a 
Hollandish  sailor  we  had  on  board.  Several  of  the 
Japanese  understood  somewhat  of  Dutch,  and  could  thus 
inform  us  of  their  desires,  and  receive  in  turn  the  com- 
munications of  our  officers. 

When  the  anchor  was  down  and  the  sails  furled,  the 
strangers  were  again  allowed  to  come  on  board,  and  our 
decks  were  soon  filled  by  a  crowd  of  as  curious  mortals 
as  ever  lived.  They  walked  about,  drinking  in  with 
their  eyes  greedily  all  the  wonders  of  our  ship,  many  of 
them  carrying  little  note-books  in  their  hands,  in  which 
they  made  memorandums  of  what  struck  their  attention 
most  forcibly. 

They  were  very  communicative,  as  far  as  the  language 
of  pantomime,  which  was  the  only  mode  of  intercourse 


APPEARANCE     OF      THE     JAPANESE.         1  (J  7 

between  the  crew  and  them  would  admit.  They  were 
evidently  greatly  surprised  at  the  vastness  and  solidity 
of  everything  on  board,  and  opened  their  eyes  with 
astonishment  at  the  size  of  our  chain  cables,  and  the 
dimensions  of  our  rigging.  After  securing  the  sails,  the 
day  was  given  over  to  us,  to  do  as  we  pleased,  and  we, 
who  were  in  turn  as  much  astonished  and  delighted  with 
all  we  saw,  as  the  Japanese  could  be.  devoted  ourselves 
to  our  visitors,  groups  of  sailors  taking  parties  of 
Japanese  round  the  ship,  exhibiting  to  them  the  wonde:  s 
of  the  lower  decks,  the  store-rooms,  etc.,  while  they,  in 
turn,  goodnature  lly  allowed  the  tars  to  examine  their 
dresses,  ornaments,  and  accouterments. 

During  o  ir  stay  in  Yeddo  Bay,  great  numbers  visited 
*he  ship,  our  decks  being  ciowded  each  day  with  men  of 
all  ranks ;  but  no  ladies  made  their  appearance.  Judging 
of  the  people  generally,  from  the  specimens  which  came 
jnder  our  observation,  we  were  forced  to  admit  that  th  y 
were  a  far  better  developed  race,  both  ment  illy  and  physic- 
ally, than  we  had  met  with  since  leaving  the  United  States. 

The  b  atmen,  the  only  ones  cf  the  low.r  classes  with 
whom  we  came  in  contact  had  not,  it  must  be  acknowledged, 
very  intelligent  countenances.  They  looked  like  slaves, 
and  their  cringrng  and  servile  obedience  to  their  rather 
haughty  masters,  told  at  once  their  condition  to  be  that 
of  serfs. 

Hut  a  nobler  or  more  intellectual  looking  set  of  men 
than  were  those  of  the  better  classes  that  we  saw.  it  would 
be  difficult  to  conceive  of.  There  was  not  one  old  or 
young,  whose  appearance  would  not  command  respect  iu 
any  soci  t  .  'i  linv  \\as.  in  particular,  no  where  to  be 


~yO  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  AV  A  R     1    I  F  E  : 

seen,  high  or  low,  that  sly  look  of  mean  cunning  or 
constant  deceit  which  disfigures  the  Chinaman,  and  gives 
to  his  c  iunttmuice  a  brutishness,  allied  to  the  most  loath- 
some form  of  idiocy. 

Their  frank,  open  countenances,  their  marked  politer. ess 
toward  each  other,  and  toward  us  strangers,  as  well  as 
the  degree  of  intelligence  evinced  in  their  obser  rations  on 
all  they  saw  on  board,  prepossessed  all  hands  greatly  in 
their  favor,  contrasting  as  they  did,  strongly,  with  the 
dull  inanimate  appearance,  and  boorish  manners  of  the 
Chinese. 

There  is  in  their  appearance  or  carriage,  very  little 
either  of  the  lassitude  or  cunning  which  form  such  di? 
tinguishing  traits  of  the  East  Indian  ra  es.  In  features, 
although  plainly  showing,  by  their  high  cheek-bones  and 
the  oblique  position  of  their  eyes,  their  Mongolian  origin, 
they  yet  resembled,  far  more  than  any  other  East  Indian, 
the  Caucasian  race. 

In  general  expression,  as  well  as  physical  development, 
those  of  the  higher  classes  that  we  saw,  I  thought 
resembled  much  the  better  grades  of  mountain  Swiss. 

Their  color  is  a  very  clear  nut-brown.  Features 
tolerably  regular ;  eyes  bright,  moderately  large ;  nose 
straight ;  forehead  broad  and  prominent ;  and  hair  black 
and  coarse. 

The  entire  front  and  crown  of  the  head  is  smoothiy 
shaven,  and  the  hair  of  the  back  and  sides  of  the  head 
drawn  upward  and  forward,  and  gathered  into  a  tuft  on 
the  top. 

They  wo;e  no  hats,  although  many  carried  with  them 
straight  broad-brimmed,  heavily  japanned  head  coverings, 


A     ....       M   A   A  N  I-:  il  If      AND      D  It  K  8  S  .        1  99 

.is  protections  against  th  •  sun.  *h  uld  bis  rays 
prove  too  powerful. 

'Ho  chief  articles  of  their  dress  appear  ^3  be  several 
]  r.-<*c  loose  gowns,  worn  one  over  the  other,  the  outer  one 
l/-iuur  of  silk  or  tine  cloth  an  1  having  embioidere  1  upon 
its  back  and  breast  various  fanciful  devices,  in  striking 
colors,  proclaiming,  probably,  the  wearer's  rank 


M«de  of  Salutation,  of  Noble,  Professional,  and  Serf. 

A  belt  confines  their  dress  at  the  middle,  and  serves, 
beside,  to  suspend  the  sword,  or  swords,  all  the  higher 
grades  of  the  nobles  carrying  two  of  these  weapons. 

Both  swo  ds,  one  short,  the  other  long,  have  strains 
M  <ir>,  whi  1).  v,  :n;iMy  k'C( •:• 

though  pivpar-d  for  instant  use.    They  are  worn  both  ou 
the  saiuc  sj  k.  une  above  the  other. 


200  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

In  their  broad  sleeves,  or  the  bosoms  of  their  gown  A, 
they  carried,  with  a  variety  of  other  matter,  the  square 
sheets  of  white  paper  which  served  them  in  lieu  of  pocket 
handkerchiefs.  When  one  of  these  sheets  was  used,  it 
was  carefully  deposited  in  an  empty  sleeve,  to  be  thrown 
overboard  at  the  first  opportunity. 

The  hats,  which,  as  detailed  above,  are  rather  carried 
than  worn,  are  very  awkward  contrivances,  the  Japanese 
seeming  to  stand  as  much  in  need  of  a  reform  in  the 
matter  of  head  covering  as  do  the  Europeans  and  Ameri- 
cans. 

Fancy  a  perfectly  flat  plate  or  disk  of  papier-mache 
about  two  feet  in  diameter,  over  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
thick,  and  highly  japanned.  This  has  a  little  projection 
in  the  center,  on  top,  looking  not  unlike  a  small  bell  pull, 
which  serves  as  a  handle  by  which  the  unwieldly  instru- 
ment is  carried.  A  narrow  receptacle  of  wickerwork 
beneath  receives  the  top  of  the  head.  No  wonder, 
thought  1,  when  I  examined  this  novel  contrivance  to 
keep  out  the  rain,  that  they  prefer  to  go  bareheaded. 

Their  shoes  are  very  rudely  constructed,  being  simply 
sandals  of  plaited  straw,  held  on  by  a  thong  or  latch, 
which  fits  between  the  two  larger  toes.  Their  feet  are 
en:-ased  in  a  kind  of  stockings,  made  of  white  cotton  cloth, 
room  being  left  between  the  toes  for  the  thong  of  the 
shoe  to  catch  readily. 

On  entering  any  of  the  cabins,  or  private  apartments 
of  the  officers,  the  sandals  were  left  at  the  door,  their 
owner  walking  in  in  his  stocking  feet.  Thus  there  were 
often  fifty  or  sixty  pairs  of  sandals  in  the  little  ante 
chamber  of  the  commodore's  cabin. 


PROFESSIONAL      MEN  WARRIORS.       201 

The  fan  seemed  to  be  universally  in  u^e  with  them. 
I  r  in  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  all,  walking  or  sitting, 
talking,  eating,  or  saluting,  had  a  fan  in  their  hands. 
It  is  applied  to  the  most  various  and  different  uses.  Did 
the  sun  shine :  the  fan  performed  the  office  of  a  parasol ; 
were  they  eating:  morsels  of  food  were  presented  to 
friends  upon  a  fan ;  did  one  desire  to  make  a  memoran- 
dum of  some  object  striking  his  attention:  the  fan  serves 
as  an  extempore  writing-desk,  on  which  to  lay  the  note- 
book ;  was  it  necessary  to  drive  overboard  some  over- 
jurious  boatman:  the  fan,  now  transformed  into  an 
instrument  of  punishment,  showers  blows  upon  the  back 
of  the  offending  serf.  In  short,  the  fan  is  evidently 
used  anywhere  and  everywhere,  on  and  for  all  occa- 
sions. 

With  it  the  learned  men  carried  a  little  basket  of  fine 
wiokerwork,  containing — at  least  one,  the  contents  of 
which  I  had  the  curiosity  to  examine,  did — a  small  com- 
pass, divided  off  in  an  entirely  different  manner  from  that 
used  with  us,  the  princip  il  point  being,  according  to  Chi- 
nes; usage,  the  south,  instead  of  the  north,  some  small  slips 
of  white  paper,  used  for  memorandums,  some  Indian  ink, 
two  or  three  pieces  of  different  colored  silk,  a  little  sack, 
which  I  took  to  be  an  amulet,  as  it  much  resembled  arti- 
cles of  that  kind  worn  by  the  Chinese,  and  a  s  ent-bag 
containing  musk,  with  the  smell  of  which  everything  in 
China  and  .lupun  is  impregnated. 

The  warriors  w<»rc  under  their  outside  gown,  or  even 
over  that  ;m<l  under  a  species  of  cloak,  a  vest  of  l^auti- 
fally-made  chain  or  link  armor.  forme  I  <«f  bright  steel. 
Though  weighing  only  a  trifle,  the  meshes  or  links  of 


202  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

this  coat  of  mail  were  woven  so  closely  as  to  be  not  only 
spear  but  bullet  proof.  It  \vas  altogether  a  highly- 
finished  piece  of  workmanship,  and  spoke  well  for  the 
advancement  of  this  particular  art  among  them. 

We  found  them  to  be  most  expert  swordsmen,  many  of 
the  officers  and  crew  trying  their  skill  with  foils  and  single- 
sticks, in  whLh  they  proved  themselves  noways  behind 
the  most  skillful  of  our  men.  The  hilts  of  their  swords 
were  beautifully  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver,  and 
inlaid  pe  rls  and  precious  stories.  The  scabbards  were 
generally  lacquered  or  japanned.  We  saw  no  fire-arms, 
but  I  was  shown  a  sample  of  thiir  powder,  which  was 
quite  coarse,  somewhat  like  our  common  blasting  powder. 

Our  visitors  generally  brought  their  dinrers  with  them, 
which  consisted  of  boiled  rice  put  up  in  little  baskets. 
Of  this  th  y  partook  very  sparingly,  handing  round 
morsels  on  fans  to  their  friends. 

Their  manner  of  partaking  of  foe  1  and  their  modera- 
tion seemed  to  me  to  betoken  a  people  who  eat  to  live, 
rather  than  live  to  eat.  They  seemed  desirous  merely  to 
satis  "y  the  necessities  of  th  -  body,  and  in  their  abstemi- 
ousness in  this  respe.t  they  ce:tainly  showed  themselves 
far  removed  from  the  condition  of  savages,  who  d  sire 
only  to  satisfy  their  physical  wants. 

Their  ceremonies  of  politeness  were  very  tedious,  and 
although  evidently  matters  of  much  consequence  to  them, 
seemed  to  us  singularly  absurd.  Two  friends  would  meet 
upon  our  quarter  deck :  straight  way  assuming  as  earn  st 
looks  as  though  int  1 1  upon  a  matter  involving  li.'e  and 
death,  they  approach  one  another,  and,  one  standing 
straight  up,  the  other  makes  a  low  bow,  nearly  touching 


MOD  K  S     OF      S  A  L  IT  T  A  T  I  ()  N  .  203 

his  1)  ad  to  the  «.cck  ;  lisi.jg,  his  vis-a-vis  n</w  repeats 
the  <iVi  inflection,  ti  !e\v  words  arc  muttered  on  each  side, 
tin1  l»..\vs  are  repeated,  sane  singular  motions  are  made 
with  the  hands  and  the  ceremony  is  over.  Now  the 
cloud  disappears  from  their  countenances,  and,  turning 
;>ii,  they  cut  r  into  cheerful  and  lively  conversation.  This 
was  between  equals. 

r>  tween  superior  and  inferior  the  case  was  a  little 
different.  The  latter,  on  meeting  the  person  with  whom 
he  desired  to  communicate,  would  assume  a  countenance 
o;'  abject  humility,  and  standing  before  him,  wait  for 
him  to  notice  his  presence.  Should  the  superior,  after 
perhaps  a  minute's  consideration,  deign  to  do  so,  the  in- 
ferior proceeds  to  the  vari  ,us  manipulations,  prostrations 
on  the  ground,  etc.,  in  such  cases  made  and  provided,  the 
superior  standing  still  and  looking  contemptuously  down 
at  the  poor  fellow  before  him. 

When  all  is  finished,  th  i  inferior  stands  resp:ctfully 
before  the  object  of  his  late  semi  adoration,  humbly  look- 
ing down  on  th  3  ground,  waiting  for  his  serene  highness' 
permission  to  speak.  And.  perhaps,  after  all  this  bowing 
and  scraping,  he  only  desires  to  address  a  sentence  or 
two  to  him. 

In  the  frontispiece  of  the  present  volume  are  repre- 
sented the  three  chief  ranks  of  the  Japanese,  the  no' A  \ 
or  oflL-er  of  state,  the  warrior,  and  the  professional  ma.i. 
Th  party  in  front,  performing  the  ceremony  of  p: 
the  homage  of  respect  considered  due  from  an  inferior  to 
a  siii.e.ior  in  rank,  are  professionals.  The  one  <-n  his 
ivip.g  the  homage  of  the  others,  is  a  noble 
Two  warriors,  one  on  the  ri.irht.  the  other  on  the  left 


204  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

show  a  front  and  back  view  of  an  individual  of  tliig 
class,  the  former  displaying  beneath  his  outside  coat  of 
state,  the  surtout  of  linked  mail  uhich  constitutes  hia 
armor  of  defense.  Next  to  the  warrior  stands  a  pro- 
fessional, dressed  in  the  immensely  wide  trowscrs  which 
are  worn  as  a  special  mark  of  high  standing;  conferring 
additional  dignity  on  the  wearer. 

These  figures,  as  well  as  the  remaining  sketches,  of 
Japanese  boats,  emblems,  etc.,  are  from  drawings  taken 
on  the  spot,  by  one  of  the  ship's  clerks,  an  excellent 
draughtsman,  to  whom  the  Japanese  offered  every  facility 
in  taking  them,  they  cheerfully  standing  in  required 
positions,  to  enable  him  to  get  every  article  of  dress,  is 
well  as  the  carriage  and  expression,  as  faithfully  as 
possible. 

I  had  read  of  a  universal  system  of  espionage  practiced 
among  the  Japanese,  and  we  perceived  evidences  o;'  it, 
even  in  their  social  intercourse  with  us.  Where  two  or 
three  were  together,  there  seemed  to  be  much  restr,  i-;t, 
no  one  of  them  being  willing  to  exhibit  to  us  any  of  his 
articles  of  apparel,  or  to  allow  any  one  to  handle  his 
swords,  or  to  receive  any  of  the  little  memoiials,  such  as 
small  coins,  or  other  articles  of  little  value,  which  they 
were  eager  to  obtain  of  us. 

But  if  we  could  get  a  single  individual  off  in  some 
corner  where  he  thought  himself  unobserved  by  his  com- 
panions, he  would  eagerly  accept  of  anything  we  had  to 
give  away,  and  displayed  no  hesitation  in  allowing  us  to 
examine  any  article  of  his  that  we  desired  to  scrutinize 
more  closely. 

But  the  most  singular  instance  of  this  general  espionage 


JAPANESE     ESPIONAGE.  20«r) 

remains  to  be  related.  The  commodore  had  disfat:hed 
as  so  in  as  possible,  to  the  emperor,  the  letter  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  which  we  were  charged 
to  deliver,  and  had  received  an  answer  to  the  effect  that 
no  trade  or  intercourse  could  be  allowed,  and  that  our 
speedy  departure  was  judged  highly  desirable.  Accord- 
ingly, a  day  was  appointed  when  we  would  sail. 

On  the  evening  before  this  day,  a  deputation  of  nobles 
visited  the  commodore,  and  returned  to  him  many  of  the 
articles  which  had  been  presented  to  various  of  the 
Japanese,  by  members  of  our  crew,  articles,  many  of 
them,  which  could  have  been  retained  easily,  had  there 
not  bei  n  a  genoral  search  instituted  among  all  who  visited 
'.he  ship.  The  authorities  evidently  desired  to  wipe  out 
every  trace  of  the  visit  of  the  barbarians. 

With  the  emperor's  answer  had  come  instructions  to 
the  chief  men  of  the  Japanese  to  furnish  the  vessel  with 
all  that  we  needed,  in  the  way  of  supplies,  and  accordingly, 
the  commodore  having  intimated  that  water  was  a  chi<  f 
necessary,  water-boats  of  tolerable  size  were  crowded 
alongside,  for  three  days,  by  which  time  we  had  taken  in 
a  large  supply  of  most  excellent  drinking-water,  the  best 
we  had  met  with  during  the  whole  cruise. 

An  intimation  having  been  given  that  some  fresh 
provisions  would  be  highly  desirable,  two  large  junks 
made  their  appearance,  from  the  upper  harbor,  bringing 
to  us  a  supply  of  vegetables  of  various  kinds,  an  1  several 
hundred  ehiekens.  Among  the  vegetables  were  sweet 
'  iiits.  carrots,  and  pumr.ki:is.  There  was 
also  a  quantity  of  small  -.ire  M  apples,  the  first  we  had 
seen  sin:e  leaving  home.  A  bullock  or  two  would  have 


!06 


M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  It     L  1  F  E  . 


l;ccii  most  welcome,  but  the  Japanese  <"o  not  kill  or  cat 
their  cattle — using  them  only  for  draught  and  to  milk. 

During  the  entire  period  of  our  stay  in  Yeddo  Bay, 
our  ship  was  guarded  by  an  immense  number  of  boats, 
which  were  constantly,  night  and  day,  on  the  alert,  with 
the  intention  of  preventing  us  from  holding  any  commu 
nication  with  the  shore 


Boat  and  Crew,  with  M  sked  Gun. 

These  boats  were  anchored  at  various  distances  from 
the  vessel,  but  forming  a  cordon  about  us,  through  which 
it  would  have  been  impossible  to  pass  with  any  of  our 
boats.  Their  boats  are  large  and  strongly  built,  and 
maimed  with  from  six  to  ton  oars  on  each  side.  They  do 
not  use  their  oars  as  do  the  boatmen  of  most  other 
nations,  sitting  with  their  back  to  the  stern,  and  pullin-.i 
the  blade  through  the  water,  b  it  stand  up  fa-ing  to  tlm 


I>K  I'  A  KTf  RE     FROM     JAPAN.  207 

side  .  :f  the  bo  it,  and  scull f  and  by  this  means  they  propel 
their  little  <-r  ft  \\itli  great  velocity  through  the  water. 

At  e\ery  inr.ti.'ii  <  f  tli-  oars,  the  whole  crew  give  vent 
to  ;i  sharp  hissing  noise,  at  the  same  time  putting  oat 
their  whole  strength.  The  continual  hsh,  hsh.  has  a 
singular  effect,  sounding  at  a  little  distance  not  unlike 
the  hissing  of  an  immense  serp.-nt. 

At  nightfall  our  guards  hung  lanterns  upon  masts  in 
the  stern  of  each  loat,  and  the  broad  surface  of  the  bay, 
dotted  with  numberless  lights,  lookel  like  a  vast  city. 
This  illumination  had  a  beautiful  effect  on  dark  nights, 
and  lent  an  additional  touch  of  romance  to  the  strange 
situation  in  which  we  were  placed. 

Having  received  all  the  commodore  h  id  asked  for,  in 
the  w..y  of  stores,  another  and  more  earnest  request  was 
made  ibr  our  immediate  dep  rture,  and  a  cordirjgly,  our 
sailing  day  was  appointed.  We  had  been  ^.iven  to  ui.der- 
stai  (1  that  no  recompense  could  be  received  for  the  supplies 
of  water  and  provisions  we  had  received  from  the  shore, 
these  things  being  furnished  by  the  emperor.  The  only 
service  asked  in  return  was  to  stay  away. 

Oil  the  morning  of  our  sailing  day.  there  happened  to 
be  but  little  wind  where  we  lay,  under  the  shelter  of  the 
land.  But  lack  of  wind  was  not  to  be  any  excuse  for 
our  longer  stay.  At  early  dawn,  between  fifteen  hum; red 
and  two  thousand  boats  gathered  under  our  bows  and 
tlit  commodore  was  informed  that  if  we  would  now  lift 
th«-  anchor,  these  boats  would  tow  us  out, 

Accordingly  the  anchor  was  weighed,  the  sails  set,  and 

two  long  hawsers  passed  over  the  bows  to  the  waiting 

thrsi'.  aii'!  t->  earh  "tilers'  «  rat't 


208  M  A  N  -  O  V  -  W  A  K      LIKE  : 

when  the  hawsers  would  no  longer  reach  them,  soon  towed 
us  to  the*  entrance  of  the  bay,  when,  taking  the  breeze, 
the  boats  cast  off,  and,  amid  waving  of  fans  and  hats,  we 
bade  good-by  to  Japan. 

We  left  Japan  behind  us  without  any  regrets.  Although 
sickness  on  board  had  not  positively  increased  during  our 
stay  there,  we  were  anxious  to  get  out  to  sea,  where  there 
was  hope  that  some  of  the  emaciated  sufferers  whose  cots 
now  more  than  half  filled  the  main-deck,  might  recover 
health  and  strength.  Our  visit  had  been  a  source  of 
great  pleasure  to  all  on  board — yet  the  many  strange 
things  we  had  seen  had  only  raised  in  us  an  intense 
desire  to  see  more  in  detail  their  every-day  life — to  visit 
the  people  ashore. 

So  strongly  was  this  excited  in  many  of  the  old  tars 
that  they  blamed  the  commodore  for  not  at  once  sailing 
up  to  the  city,  which  we  understood  lay  in  the  upper 
portion  of  the  bay.  concealed  from  our  sight  by  an  inter- 
vening promontory — and  there  going  ashore,  under  cover 
of  the  guns,  and  at  once  forcing  them  to  hold  communi- 
cations. 

Two  days  after  leaving  the  harbor,  we  met  two  Japanese 
fishing  boats,  which  sailed  boldly  up  alongside,  and  held 
up  some  fish  for  sale.  They  made  fast  alongside,  and,  on 
receiving  a  quantity  of  empty  bottles,  handed  up  in  retun 
a  number  of  fine  fish. 

They  did  not  appear  at  all  shy,  and  evidently  were 
much  rejoiced  at  the  excellent  bargain  they  had  made. 
Glass  is  a  scarce  article  in  Japan,  as  we  are  informed 
in  the  de -criptions  of  the  country  given  by  the  Dutch 
agents  who  have  resided  there. 


FISHING      BOATS.  200 

Glass  bottles  are  in  special  demand,  and  no  doubt  it 
was  the  anxiety  to  possess  themselves  of  some  treasuies 
of  this  kind  which  induced  the  fishermen  to  come  along- 
side. They  manifested  r.o  hesitation  or  flav  whatever, 
but  appeared  on  the  contrary  very  anxious  to  communi- 
cate. It  struck  us  that  if  the  discipline  was  so  strict 
everywhere  else  through  the  island  as  we  found  it  at 
Yeddo  Bay,  they  would  experience  some  difficulty  iu 
smuggling  their  bottles  on  shore. 

The  fishing-boats  were  the  last  ve  saw  of  Japan,  ana 
wo  were  soon  after  bowling  along  under  an  eight  knot 
breeze,  every  hour  increasing  the  distance  between  our- 
selves and  those  East  Indies  of  which  we  had  seen  so 
little,  and  that  little  the  worst  side. 

There  was  not  a  man  on  board  that  was  not  heartily 
glad  t )  find  the  old  ship  onae  more  bound  America- ward. 
It  seemed  almost  like  homeward-bound,  (that  mu.ie 
word,)  and  in  fact,  we  congratulated  ourselves  alreadj 
upon  the  fact  that  we  were  no  longer  outward-bound,  a 
species  of  negative  comfort,  of  which  we  were  glad  enough 
to  avail  ourselves. 

But,  although  in  a  few  days  far  enough  from  the 
Chinese  coast,  so  long  the  scene  of  our  discontent,  we 
were  carrying  with  us  saddening  memorials  of  it,  in  the 
pale  cheeks  and  emaciated  forms,  the  lustrous  eyes;  and 
linir  hands  of  many  of  our  poor  shipmates,  who 
would  scarce  return  home  the  stalwart,  light-hearted 
fellows  tli'-y  left  it. 

Our  main-deck  was  still  crowded  with  the  cots  of  the 
sirk.  and  although  happily,  now  that  we  had  > 

iltrv  and  urnvh  >lesonie  air  of  China  for  the  fro 
11 


1!10  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

inspiriting  breezes  of  the  wide  Pacific,  there  were  no  new 
cases  of  dysentery,  yet  the  disease  hung  obstinately  upon 
those  unfortunates  who  had  become  its  victims  in  days 
past ;  and  every  few  days  some  of  the  sufferers  would  drop 
off,  on  the  very  road  to  recovery,  but  so  weakened,  so,  as  it 
were,  dragged  down,  as  to  have  no  longer  in  their  systems 
the  power  to  give  it  new  tone.  Like  the  scurvy  patient, 
whose  weakened  powers  succumb  to  the  health-giving 
breezes  of  the  shore,  these  poor  fellows  sank  under  the 
efforts  of  their  debilitated  systems  at  recovery.  Peace  be 
with  them;  they  rest  quietly  in  their  ocean  graves, 
unheeding  the  storms  that  blow,  the  billows  that  roll 
above  their  heads. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  Sandwich  Islands  —  Honolulu  —  The  People  —  The  Labors 
of  the  Missionary  —  Dexterity  of  the  Natives  in  Swimming 
and  Diving —  Leave  for  the  South  American  Coast. 

SHORTLY  after  leaving  Japan,  I  was  made  happy  by 
attaining  a  long-cherished  desire  of  mine,  to  be  stationed 
in  one  of  the  Tops.  I  had  grown  too  large  (in  my  own 
estimation)  for  a  mere  errand-boy,  and  had  a  great  desire 
to  learn  something  of  sailor-craft  before  we  got  back  to  the 
Tinted  States 

What  I  had  been  told  by  an  old  tar  on  board  the 
(iuard  >,  that  "  I  had  come  to  a  poor  place  to  learn  to  be 
a  sailor,"  1  found  true  to  the  letter.  Of  all  the  ships 
that  sail,  a  vessel  of  war  is  the  very  worst  wherein  to 
learn  sailorship.  So  well  is  this  known,  that  officers  of 
in*  r<  -hant  vessels  never  ship  man-of-war  sailors,  if  they 
know  it. 

There  are  on  one  of  these  ships  so  many  men,  that  the 

-ity  for  exertion,  for  learning,  does  not  exist;  and 

many  boys  and  men  on  board  of  our  vessel  who 

knew  no  more  about  a  ship  and  the  various 

duties  of  a  sailor,  when  they  left  her,  after  a  three  years* 

cruise,  than  they  did  when  they  came  on  board. 

(211) 


212  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

This  would  have  been  my  case,  had  1  not  been  for- 
tunate enough  to  be  now  stationed  in  the  mizzen-tep, 
where  I  applied  myself  diligently  to  learn  somewhat  of 
the  duties  which  are  required  of  the  sail  or- boy,  such  as 
loosing  and  furling  the  lighter  sails,  tairing  and  slushing, 
and  lending  a  hand  at  reefing,  etc.  In  addition  to  this, 
I  practiced  industriously  at  making  the  various  knots  and 
splices,  in  the  neat  performance  of  which  the  true  sailor 
takes  so  much  pride,  and  was  soon  master  of  long  and 
short  splices,  manrope  knots,  turks-heads,  and  Matthew 
Walkers,  and  the  fifty  other  artistical  twists  and  ties 
which  decorate  a  fancy  ship's  rigging. 

My  life  in  the  top  was  a  very  happy  one.  I  was  re- 
lieved of  the  drudgery  oft  running  of  errands,  striking  the 
bell,  and  lounging  about  the  quarter  deck,  at  the  moment- 
ary call  of  the  officers.  I  was  top-man — and  what  mort 
flattering  to  a  boy  than  to  be  ranked  among  men,  even  if 
he  is  at  the  "  tail  of  the  heap." 

I  was  no  longer  obliged  to  stand  outside  of  the  social 
circle,  when,  in  the  pleasant  dog-watches,  the  song  was 
sung,  or  the  adventures  of  other  days  talked  over.  I  had 
a  rightful  place  among  the  sailors,  and  forthwith,  in  my 
pride  of  heart,  at  the  glorious  eminence  to  which  I  had 
arrived,  I  patched  my  trowsers,  and  rubbed  tar  on  my 
frocks,  that  he  that  ran  might  read  me  a  sailor.  In 
short,  I  made  a  laughing  stock  of  myself. 

Our  passage  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  we  were 
next  to  touch,  was  made  with  fine  and  fair  breezes,  and 
aver  a  smooth  sea,  and  as  many  of  our  invalids  were  now 
recovering,  the  ship  assumed  once  more  an  appearance  of 
life  and  gaiety,  to  which  we  had,  for  some  time,  been 


A     SCHOOL     OF     W  H  A  L  E  F  213 

strangers.  Tlu  consciousness  that,  if  we  were  not  yet 
0,1  our  direct  path  for  home,  we  were  yet  gradually  near- 
i.ig  that  point  in  our  cruise,  and  had  already  passed 
thioagh  the  severest  scenes  in  it,  no  doubt  aided  materi- 
ally in  inspiring  the  crew  with  pleasant  feelings. 

There  was,  besides,  a  prospect  that  all  hands  would  get 
a  run  on  shore  in  one  of  the  two  or  three  ports  at  which 
we  would  touch  within  the  next  six  months,  and  when 
"  liberty  "  is  ahead,  Jack  is  always  full  of  joyous  antici- 
pations. 

It  was  on  this  passage,  and  some  days  before  w^ 
reached  the  Sandwich  Islands  that  we  saw  the  first  large 
school  of  whales  we  had  met  during  the  cruise.  We  had 
occasionally  seen  a  spout,  or  the  gleam  of  black  skin, 
but  always  at  too  great  distance  from  the  vessel  to  enable 
us  to  distinguish  aught  of  the  form  or  actions  of  levia- 
than. 

There  was  nothing,  I  think,  that  most  of  the  boys 
desired  so  much  to  see  as  a  whale.  For  my  part,  1  was 
continually  on  the  lookout  for  a  spout,  when  in  the  top, 
and  had  a  standing  arrangement  with  a  member  of  the 
other  watch,  that,  in  case  one  should  make  his  appear- 
ance close  to  the  ship  while  I  was  below,  I  was  instantly 
to  be  called. 

Great  was  our  pleasure,  therefore,  when  one  afternoon, 
while  I  was  in  the  top,  a  school  of  tolerably  large  sperm 
whales  made  their  appearance  ahead,  and  came  right 
down  toward  the  vessel.  The  bows  and  the  lower  and 
il  yarfrs  were  soon  crowded  with  gazers,  and  as  the 
school  slowly  approached  the  ship,  the  utmost  silence  was 


214  MAN-OF-WAR     1.  I  F  K  ! 

kept,  that  they  might  not  be  frightene  1  and  disappcay 
before  we  had  time  to  inspect  them. 

I  stood  in  the  mizzentop  watching  their  ie2;ular  spout- 
ings  and  wondering  at  the  vast  shades  which  seemed  sc 
easily  propelled  through  the  water.  A  friend  and  top- 
niate,  who  was  an  old  whaleman,  explained  to  me  the 
names  given  the  various  portions  of  the  whale  which  we 
were  able  to  see,  as  his  hump,  a  triangular  projection  on 
his  back,  looking  to  a  green  hand  not  unlike  a  dorsal  fin, 
but  consisting  altogether  of  blubber,  displaying  no  affinity 
to  a  fin ;  his  broad  back  and  s  xuare  heid,  the  latter 
giving  to  the  whole  animal  a  singular  appearance  of  in- 
completeness, as  it  is  in  leed  merely  a  great  shapeless 
mass  of  blubber. 

As  the  school  got  a  little  distance  astern,  they  went 
down,  the  leader  making  a  beginning  by  turning  flukes 
in  grand  style.  *•  Turning  flukes  "  that  evolution  of  the 
whale  is  called,  in  which,  on  being  about  to  descend  to 
the  depths  of  the  sea  in  search  of  his  food,  he  first  gives 
his  head  a  slight  toss  up,  then  launches  himself  head- 
foremost into  the  deep,  his  broad  flukes  or  tail  being  the 
last  point  visible  of  him  in  his  perpendicular  descent. 
It  is  a  grand  sight,  and  one  too  in  which  whalemen 
greatly  delight,  inasmuch  as  it  shows  them  that  they  have 
not  gallied  or  frightened  their  whale,  as,  in  the  latter 
ease,  his  whaleship  would  not  wait  to  turn  his  flukes, 
but  would  drop  down  horizontally  out  of  sight. 

In  due  time  we  arrived  at  Honolulu  the  capital  and 
piincipal  city  of  the  Sandwich  Island  group,  situated  on 
the  Island  of  Oahu.  We  sighted  the  island  early  ono 
morning,  and  standing  in,  were  .  v  irded  about  three 


HONOLULU.  21^ 

o'clock  in  tne  afternoon  by  a  \  ilot,  who  brought  the  ship 
safely  to  anchor  in  the  outer  harbor,  cr  Ba}^  of  Waititi, 
ar  live  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

>re  the  ship  canie  to  ancho/,  she  was  boarded  by 
il  of  the  American  residents,  merchants  and  mis- 
^ionaiics.  I  had  always  while  at  home  been  a  gieatl 
interested  reader  of  the  Mission  Eeports,  and  it  was  no 
small  gratification  to  me  now  to  see  some  of  the  men  of 
whose  labors  in  introducing  the  lights  of  Christianity  and 
civilization  among  the  savages  of  the  South  Sea  Islands, 
I  ha  I  read  and  heard  so  mu.-h. 

On  the  next  morning  after  our  arrival,  we  saluted  the 
llaw.ian  flag,  the  salute  being  returned  from  a  fort 
which  has  been  erected  on  the  shore,  fronting  the  harbor. 

There  is  little  striking  or  beautiful  about  the  Bay  of 
Honolulu.  The  scenery  on  shore,  although  agreeably 
diversified  by  hill  and  dale,  has  not  the  abrupt  giand^ur 
of  many  of  the  islands  of  the  Pacifi  •,  and  the  country 
\va.s  not  at  that  time  in  a  sufficiently  high  state  of  culti 
vatiou  to  lend  to  it  the  charm  which  the  labors  of  man 
effect  in  1  eautifying  a  natural  scene. 

The  Bay  is  commodious  and  tolerably  safe.  Besides 
the  outer  ha:b>r,  where  our  ship  was  anchored,  there  is 
an  inner  harbor,  formed  by  a  coral  reef,  which  extends 
<  i  TM- tly  across  the  Bay,  and  protects  the  ships  in  this 
smaller  cove  from  any  gale  which  would  render  the  outer 
bay  unsafe.  Merchant  vessels  and  whaleships,  intending 
to  make  any  considerable  stay  here,  always  go  over  the 
in  1  lie  in  safety  inside,  either  at  wharves,  or  at 
their  anchors  at  but  inconsiderable  distances  from  the 
Acre. 


216  MAN-OF-WAR 'LIFE: 

The  Sandwich  Islands  were  already  at  that  time  me 
constant  resort  of  whaleships  in  want  of  rt  freshments,  as 
well  as  of  the  trading  vessels,  which  in  those  days  plied 
a  good  business  along  the  coasts  of  the  Californias,  and 
the  North- West  coast,  going  generally  in  the  season  as  far 
north  as  the  Kussian  fort  of  Peter  Palovski. 

Although  the  sh'p's  company  were  not  allowed  to  gc 
on  shore  here,  the  boys  were  granted  a  day's  run,  at 
which  we  were  no  little  elated. 

On  going  on  shore,  a  party  of  us  first  made  the  round 
of  the  town,  taking  a  look  at  the  fort,  the  king's  palace, 
situated  in  a  large  pleasure  ground,  the  houses  of  the 
missionaries,  their  chapels  and  school  houses,  as  well  as 
examining  as  far  as  we  could  the  dwellings  of  the 
natives. 

Honolulu  was  at  that  time  (just  before  the  discovery 
of  the  gold  in  California)  a  straggling,  rather  poorly- 
constructed  or  laid -out  town.  It  contained  a  number  of 
very  respectable-looking  houses,  but  the  great  body  of  the 
town  was  made  up  of  small  huts,  and  on  the  outskirts 
not  a  few  tents  were  to  be  seen,  reminding  me  somewhat 
of  a  camp-meeting  scene  in  the  western  woods  at  home. 

The  whole  place  had  a  listless,  impassive  look,  as 
though  the  inhabitants  were  only  taking  a  rest,  prepara- 
tory to  a  start  on  a  journey.  Except  just  down  by  the 
waterside,  where  the  sailors  by  their  uncouth  gambols 
along  the  shore  gave  some  life  to  the  scene,  a  Sabbath 
stillness  reigned  throughout.  There  were  few  persons  in 
the  streets,  not  many  shops,  and  but  little  signs  of  busi- 
ness ;  nevertheless,  there  was  at  this  time  a  great  deal 
of  business  done  and  money  made  upon  the  islands. 


T  TI  K     SANDWICH     ISLANDERS.  LM  7 

mostly  by  the  American  and  English  residents  and  by 
some  few  Chinese,  who  were  merchandising  here  in  a 
si  mi  11  way,  arid  cheating,  as  usual,  to  the  full  extent  of 
their  ability. 

Of  the  natives,  a  fair  proportion  were  clothed,  although 
rather  lightly,  wearing  in  many  instances  nothing  but  a 
poncho — a  square  piece  of  cloth,  with  a  hole  cut  in  the 
center,  through  which  the  head  is  put,  the  corners  of  the 
garment  reac-hing  about  down  to  one's  middle — and,  in 
addition  to  this,  the  tappa,  or  loin  cloth.  But  very  many 
stalked  about  in  nothing  but  the  tappa.  The  women 
were  universally  dressed  in  long  loose  gowns,  fitting 
tightly  around  the  neck,  and  hanging  loose  down  to  the 
feet,  leaving  no  idea  to  be  formed  of  the  shape. 

In  the  houses,  we  found  the  ground  or  floor  covered 
with  mats,  many  woven  very  skilfully  and  in  fine  colors. 
On  these  mats  the  natives  were  often  seen  rolling  about 
in  perfect  idleness.  In  one  corner  of  the  room  there  was 
generally  a  raised  structure  of  boards,  covered  also 
with  mats,  and  which  served  as  beds.  Of  furniture, 
there  was  little,  everything  seeming  to  be  conducted  on 
the  most  primitive  scale. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  rode  out  into  the  country,  hiring 
horses  for  that  purpose  of  some  natives.  We  enjoyed  the 
ride — a  sailor  is  always  delighted  to  get  on  horseback,  a 
horse  being  something  he  knows  naught  at  all  about — 
but  saw  nothing  very  attractive.  Biding  out  for  some 
•  •iirht  or  nine  miles,  we  saw  nothing  to  disturb  the  dreary 
monotony  but  a  few  miserable  native  huts,  each  sur- 
rounded by  its  little  taro  patch,  and  a  tV\v  ot  the  natives. 


218  MAN-OF-WAR    LIFE: 

much  more  ill-favored  individuals  than  those  we  had  seen 
in  town. 

Altogether,  I  was  inclined  to  think  that  the  islands 
a,nd  their  inhabitants,  judging  from  the  samples  we  saw, 
were  yet  susceptible  of  great  improvement. 

Much  fault  has  been  found  with  the  missionaries  that 
not  more  good  has  been  accomplished,  but,  on  the  whole, 
it  is  but  just  to  say,  that  the  result  of  their  efforts  has 
been  much  undervalued  ;  that  not  sufficient  account  has 
been  made  by  their  censurers  of  the  obstacles  with  which 
they  have  had  to  contend,  not  the  least  among  which 
have  arisen  from  the  irregular  conduct  of  the  crews  of 
vessels  frequenting  the  islands,  who  disgrace  the  name 
of  Christians  by  their  actions,  and  have  introduced  new 
vices,  and  endeavored  to  foster  into  life  the  old  ones  of 
the  natives. 

And  finally,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  much  of 
the  disappointment  expressed  by  visitors  to  the  islands, 
at  the  smallness  of  the  results  of  missionary  labors,  is 
owing  in  a  great  men  sure  to  their  having  permitted 
themselves  to  entertain  far  too  sanguine  expectations. 

Those  who  expect  to  see  here  a  scene  of  Arcadian  sim- 
plicity, and  innocence,  and  happiness,  find  themselves 
wofully  out  in  their  calculations.  Such  a  condition  of 
things  would  hardly  have  obtained  had  the  islanders  held 
intercourse  with  no  white  men  but  the  missionaries ;  for  a 
country  and  a  people  are  not  completely  regenerated  in  so 
short  a  time.  But  with  the  drawbacks  of  the  constant 
evil  examples  set  them  by  white  men  coming  from  Chris- 
tian lands,  and  whose  touch  has  been  to  the  poor  natives 
as  a  deathly  poison,  with  these  hindrances  in  the  way  of 


BREAD     FRUIT T  A  K  O  .  219 

a  constant  progress,  it  is  surely  sufficient  to  be  able  to 
yay  that  th.'y  are  no  worsj  than  their  Eu.opean  ani 
American  brethren,  t  .ken  collectively. 

buying  our  stay  here  we  enjoyed  greatly  the  fine  fruits 
which  are  brought  off  in  bum-boats  to  the  ship.  Besides 
the  banana,  the  cocoa-nut,  and  the  lime,  we  found  her  3 
line  watermelons,  a  fruit  we  had  not  before  seen  since 
leaving  the  United  States. 

Here,  I  for  the  first  time  tasted  bread-fruit.  The 
fruit  is  about  as  large  as  a  man's  head.  It  has  a  rou^h, 
thick  rind,  whLh  giows  hard  with  baking.  The  inside 
-s  -a  soft  pulp,  in  which  are  hid  a  number  of  pits  or 
seeds.  I  did  not  like  its  taste,  which  seemed  t>  nu  a 
mixture  of  acid  and  sweet,  but  with  a  sickening  flavor 
that  makes  it  unpalatable.  I  think  the  taste  for  it  must  be 
a  (juired,  as,  although  I  have  since  known  many  who 
were  very  fond  of  it,  cookel  or  raw,  I  never  knew  of 
one  who  liked  it  at  first. 

There  is,  however,  here  another  fruit,  the  taro,  which 
serves  the  natives  in  lieu  of  the  potato,  and  which  is  one 
of  the  most  delicious  of  vegetables.  It  grows  to  about 
the  size  of  a  large  cocoa-nut,  and  is  round  and  hard,  cut- 
ting precisely  like  a  firm  Irish  potatoe.  They  are  boiled 
and  eaten  as  potatoes,  or  with  milk.  In  the  latter  way, 
1  can  vouch  for  their  being  a  delicacy. 

I  have  before  mentioned  the  existence  of  a  c^ral  reef 
forming  the  inner  harbor.  Within  the  bounds  of  this 
reef,  and  among  the  surf  which  is  constantly  breaking 
upon  it,  the  native  s  were  amusing  tht_inselv<.  s  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  showing  their  dexterity  in  meeting  and 
overcoming  the  heavy  rollers  of  the  surf  and  lidding 


22C  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE 

defiance  to  sharks,  and  slurp  rock.  Unfortunate  the 
shark,  who,  tempted  by  the  smell  of  some  savory  morsel 
within  the  fatal  harbor,  pokes  his  nose  over  the  reef. 
He  is  set  upon,  as  a  great  prize,  by  the  native  amphibii, 
and,  despite  the  most  strenuous  struggles,  is  generally 
overcome,  dragged  out  on  shore,  and  roasted. 

On  sedng  a  shark  about  the  reef,  a  native  provides 
himself  with  a  long  flat-shap  d  piece  of  wood,  tolerably 
sharp  at  one  end.  With  this  in  hand,  he  goes  to  meet 
the  fish,  and  taking  opportunity  when  he  opens  his 
mouth,  pushes  the  pointed  end  down  his  throat.  The 
entire  mouth  is  filled  up,  and  kept  distended.  The  shark 
struggles  for  a  while,  but  is  unable  to  get  rid  of  the 
encumber  ance,  and  is  fairly  drowned. 

The  natives  are  like  all  the  South  Sea  Islanders,  very 
expert  divers.  In  fact,  they  seemed  quite  as  much  at 
home  in  the  water  as  out.  There  was,  one  day,  a  canoe 
full  of  Kanakas  alongside,  desiring  to  sell  some  fruit.  I 
noticed  one  of  them  in  the  stern  looking  for  a  minute 
intensely  into  the  water.  Suddenly  he  raised  his  hands, 
gave  a  leap,  and  darted  into  the  water.  He  was  below 
the  surface  nearly  a  minute,  and  came  up  with  a  small 
fish  held  between  his  teeth.  It  was  this  fish  he  had 
before  been  watching. 

While  lying  here,  the  king,  Kamehameha  III.  paid 
a  visit  to  the  ship.  He  was  received  on  board  with  the 
appropriate  ceremonies,  the  crew  manning  the  yards,  and 
a  salute  being  fired  when  he  came  on  board,  and  again 
as  he  left  the  vessel.  He  was  a  portly  man,  of  fine 
presence,  and  looked  quite  intelligent. 

He  had  at  that  tim?  a  very  beautiful  little  schooner, 


K  A  MC  II  A  ME  H  A     III.  221 

built  for  him  in  the  United  States,  in  which  he  spent  a 
great  portion  of  his  time,  sailing  from  island  to  island, 
visiting  the  different  parts  of  his  dominions.  If  report 
si'i.kr  true,  he  interfered  but  little  with  the  affairs  of 
gove:nment  at  this  period  of  his  reign,  allowing  his 
ministers  to  conduct  these,  as  far  as  could  be  without 
i  is  aid. 

Oahu  is  the  port  of  most  frequent  resort  for  whaling 
r  essels  cruising  in  the  North  Pacific  He'  e  they  spend  a 
portion  of  their  time  every  year,  after  the  expiration  of 
tlic  regular  whaling  season  on  the  north-west  coast, 
efitting  their  vessels  and  frolicking  on  shore.  The  crews, 
]>y  their  ill  conduct,  have  greatly  impeded  the  success  of 
missionary  labors  upon  the  islands,  and  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  they  are  justly  blameable  for  most  of  the 
vices  which,  at  the  time  we  touched  there,  infected  the 
natives,  and  under  the  deleterious  effects  of  which,  their 
entire  race  is  gradually  dwindling  away. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

SAIL  for  Valparaiso  —  The  Vale  of  Paradise  — Two  Sundays  in 
one  week  —  Liberty  —  Jack  Ashore — Lassoing  a  Sailor. 

SAILING  along  pleasantly,  with  fresh  breezes,  and 
beautiful  weather,  we  arrived,  in  seventy  days,  at  Val- 
paraiso, Chili,  from  which  place  we  were  bound  either  to 
the  Coast  of  California,  or  if  not  wanted  there,  home. 

"Vale  of  Paradise," — never  was  there  such  a  mis 
nomer.  Surely  some  man-of-war's  man  had  the  naming  of 
it.  By  them,  indeed,  this  port  is  regarded  as  a  species 
of  elysium,  for  here  they  enjoy  the  most  unbounded 
libe  ty  and  license — when  they  get  ashore.  Many  was 
the  yarn  I  had  listened  to  during  the  voyage,  of  "  last 
cruise,  when  we  went  ashore  at  Valparaiso." 

All  those  who  had  been  there  before,  looked  forward  to 
otir  going  there  with  the  most  lively  pleasure,  and  we, 
who  had  yet  to  make  our  first  experience  of  it,  of  course, 
felt  no  little  curiosity  to  view  a  scene  of  so  much  happi- 
ness 

We  got  in  on  a  Saturday,  according  to  our  reckoning, 
but  found  that  ashore  they  called  it  Friday.  And  accord- 
ingly, next  day  was  our  Sunday,  and  the  next  day  after 
was  Sunday,  ashore  ;  we  keeping  both  days,  in  order  to 
straighten  our  reckoning. 
(222) 


TWO    SUNDAYS     IN     ONE     WEEK.  223 

This  happened  by  our  having  gone  round  the  world, 
sailing  east  all  the  while,  an  I  thus  gaining  an  entire 
twenty-four  hours  by  the  circumnavigation. 

It  was  laughable  to  see  the  puzzle  1  astonishment  with 
whi  -h  many  of  the  crew  regarded  this  curious  conjunction 
of  two  Sundays.  They  could  not  uncle  stand,  what  is 
a  simple  matter  to  the  merest  tyro  in  astronomy  at  school, 
that  sailing  east  we  gain  time,  at  the  rate  of  one  hour 
for  every  fifteen  degrees  of  longitude,  and  that  of  course, 
by  cutting  through  the  entire  three  hundred  and  sixty 
degrees  into  which  our  globe  has  been  partitioned  off  by 
geographers,  there  would  be  a  necessary  gain  of  twenty- 
four  hours. 

"  Well,"  said  one  of  my  topmates  to  me,  "  I  shan't  tell 
of  this  when  I  get  home,  for  they  would  be  sure  to  think 
1  was  fibbing." 

Which  brings  to  mind  a  little  yarn  often  alluded  to  at 
eea,  when  witnessing  something  so  strange  that  one  would 
scarce  believe  it  without  actually  seeing  it. 

There  was.  once  upon  a  time,  so  the  yarn  goes,  a  lad 
named,  of  course,  Jack,  who,  returning  home  to  his 
mother,  after  an  absence  of  some  years  at  sea,  was  desired 
by  the  old  lady  to  relate  to  her  some  of  the  wonders  he 
had  witnessed  in  his  journeying  up  and  down  the  earth. 

•Ja  -k  commenced  by  t  lling  her  that,  as  his  ship  was 
one  day  sailing  up  the  Red  Sea  they  had  occasion  to  cast 
anchor,  aivl,  on  weighing  a.'ain  next  mo.ning,  there  came 
up  on  the  an.hor  a  large  chariot  wheel,  undoubtedly  one 
of  those  belonging  to  Pharaoh's  host. 

•Well."  said  the  old  lady,  "Jack,  that's  very  fin€ 
;.  but  tell  us  something  more." 


<'J4  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

Said  Jack :  "  When  I  made  a  voyage  to  Jamaica,  in 
the  West  Indies,  we  saw  a  great  mountain  of  brown 
sugar,  and  a  river  of  the  best  of  rum  running  around 
the  foot  of  it." 

"  That  must  have  been  a  grand  sight,  indeed,"  said 
the  old  lady,  "  but  go  ahead,  my  child,  with  your 
stories." 

Now,  Jack  began  to  feel  some  conscientious  scruples 
about  telling  his  mother  any  more  lies — and  thinking  to 
rectify  all  mistakes  by  topping  off  with  a  bouncing  truth, 
said : 

''And  when  we  were  on  the  voyage  home,  mother,  we 
saw  great  troops  of  fish  flying  through  the  air,  some  of 
which  lit  upon  the  vessel." 

The  old  lady  heaved  a  deep  sigh  as  she  said : 

"  Oh !  Jack,  Jack,  you  wicked  boy,  that  you  should 
[tay  away  so  long,  and  then  come  home  to  your  old 
mother  with  a  lie  in  your  mouth." 

"  Why,  it's  truth,  mother,"  began  Jack,  fearing  that 
1  e  had  gotten  himself  into  a  scrape. 

''Don't  say  any  more,  boy,"  rejoined  she,  angrily, 
"  you'll  only  make  it  worse.  About  the  chariot  wheel 
being  fast  to  your  anchor,  I  can  believe ;  because  the 
Bible  tells  us  that  Pha;  aoh  and  his  host  were  drowned  in 
the  Eed  Sea.  As  for  mountains  of  sugar  and  rivers  of 
rum,  that  we  know  to  be  true,  for  it's  all  brought  from 
there.  But  flying  fshes  —  oh,  Jack,  Jack!  that  you 
should  try  to  make  fun  of  your  old  mother." 

Before  we  got  to  Valparaiso,  we  had  been  given  to  un- 
derstand that  this  was  to  be  our  liberty  port,  and  accord- 
ingly, on  the  third  day  after  we  got  in,  one  quarter  of  the 


LIBERTY.  225 

crew  were  sent  ashore,  with  throe  days'  leave  and  ten 

rs  in  their  pockets. 

1  was  of  the  second  party  that  went,  which  was  for- 
luint',  as  my  verdancy  on  the  subject  of  "  liberty  "  was 
somewhat  enlightened  before  our  party  went  ashore,  by 
th  •  upper  trance  of  those  of  the  first  party  who  came  off 

^ular  time.  Of  these,  some  few  had  black  eyes  and 
otherwise  contused  faces,  evidences  of  the  clearing  up  of 

little  matters  which  had  been  in  abeyance  the  whole 
<•  iji--o  ;  many  were  intoxicated,  and  nearly  all  looked  as 
t  oiiL'h,  to  use  a  significant  New  York  phrase,  "  they  had 

t  xjarding  in  the  market  and  sleeping  on  the  benches 

there.''     Nothing  was  said,  however,  by  the  officers,  on 

nance,  forty-eight  hours  more  being  allowed 

them  for  the  sick  to  get  well,  the  drunk  sober,  the  blind 

and  lame  t;>  recover  their  organs  of  vision  and  locomotion. 

\\Y11,  1  went  ashore,  and,  taking  the  advice  of  an  old 

tar,  a  good  friend  of  mine,  at  once  separated 

iiivseh'  from  the  great  crowd,  who  went  on  their  way 

•lug  —  shouting,  singing,  and  kicking  up  their  heels 
I   parcel  of  school  boys.     I  spent  the  forenoon,  in 

soy  with  another  lad  of  about  my  age,  in  walking 

-rh  the  town,  examining  the  churches,  the  plaza,  and 
taking  a  shore  view  of  the  harbor.  Getting  our  dinner 

Intel,  we  again  sallied  out,  to  look  up  our  shipmates, 
hoping  to  find  them  a  little  quieted  —  the  first  wild  burst 


It  is  not  a  difficult  matter  to  find  a  sailor  in  Valpa- 
He  has  here  his  peculiar  haunts,  where  the  genus 
h'»l«l  out.  and  into  which  a  landsman  thrusts  himself  at 

the  imminent  risk  of  his  neck.     So  completely  have  the 
1.") 


226  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  K     LIFE 

tars  taken  possession  of  the  quarters  of  the  town  at 
which  they  most  do  congregate,  that  they  have  named 
them — of  course,  after  various  parts  of  the  ship.  Thusr 
there  is  the  Foretop,  the  Maintop,  the  Mizzentop,  the 
Mainroyal,  the  Cat-Harpings,  and  several  other  places  of 
less  note. 

Valparaiso  is  divided  into  two  portions,  a  lower  town, 
lying  upon  a  level  with  the  harbor  in  the  bottom  of  the 
bowl  formed  by  the  surrounding  hills,  and  an  upper  town, 
built  on  terraces  upon  the  sides  of  those  hills.  The 
Tops  are  three  distinct  suburbs,  lying  on  the  sides  of 
three  different  hills,  and  separated  from  each  other  and 
from  the  town  by  deep  ravines. 

These  are  the  strongholds  of  Jack  Tar.  Here  he 
reigns  supreme,  lord  of  all  he  surveys,  for  the  short  time 
he  is  ashore.  Here  he  has  full  scope  to  work  out  all  the 
various  eccentricities  which  go  to  make  up  "  a  glorious 
frolic,"  unmolested  by  troublesome  vigilante,  or  treacher- 
ous captain  of  the  port's-raan. 

On  our  way  up  to  the  Mizzentop,  wye  met  "  Jolly  Ja.Ic 
Brown,"  as  he  called  himself,  a  sedate  quarter-master  OB 
board  ship,  picking  his  drunken  way  down  the  steep  hill, 
with  a  little  donkey  held  in  his  arms,  as  though  it  were 
a  child. 

He  was  "  nursing  it,"  he  said,  "  but  the  beast  wouldn't 
keep  quiet." 

And  no  wonder — it  hadn't  been  used  to  being  carried 
about,  lying  on  its  back,  with  its  thin  legs  vainly  pawing 
the  air,  its  tail  keeping  the  flies  from  Jack's  shining 
face. 

He  was  hunting  the  commodore,  he  told  us,  to  make 


JACK     ASHORE.  227 

him  a  present  of  the  donkey  as  a  curiosity,  having,  as 
we  afterward  ascertained,  givon  a  dollar  for  it  to  a  thiev- 
ing Chileno,  who  was  now  following  him  up,  waiting  for 
him  to  drop  the  animal,  when  he  would  again  take  pos- 
session of  it. 

Getting  farther  along,  we  came  upon  our  shipmates, 
sitting  in  the  pidperias  (grog  shops),  smoking  their 
segars  and  having  "glasses  round;"  some  playing  cards, 
others  spinning  tough  yarns  of  the  events  of  the  cruise 
to  some  British  sailors,  whom  they  had  invited  to  partici- 
pate with  them. 

There  is  no  greater  gentleman  than  your  true  man-of- 
war's  man,  when  he  is  ashore.  His  hand  is  open — as 
his  mouth.  His  last  dollar  goes  as  easy  as  his  first. 
Purse  strings !  bless  you,  they  are  a  useless  encumbrance. 
If  he  drinks,  he  treats  the  crowd.  .  Does  he  light  a 
scgar :  every  mouth  in  the  company  must  puff.  Has  a 
"cook-shop"  hove  in  sight:  "Walk  up,  boys,  and  let's 
take  in  some  ballast ;  stow  your  ground,  tier  well,  so 
you'll  keep  right  side  up  in  the  squalls ;"  as  though  any 
possible  amount  of  "ballast"  would  keep  upright  so 
crank  a  boat  as  he.  And  so  the  money  goes,  and  Jack 
who  was  a  gentleman  for  a  day,  is  a  nigger  for  the  next 
six  months.  ^ 

Presently,  a  party  on  horseback  hove  in  sight.  Horse 
riding  is  one  of  the  standard  amusements  of  Valparaiso, 
and  a  large  plain,  lying  above  the  town  and  harbor, 
affords  grand  scope  for  all  the  maneuvers  incident  to 
sailor  horsemanship.  When  our  presence  was  discovered, 
we  were  at  once  invited  to  join  the  party,  and  in 


228  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE', 

obedience  to  the  command  of  one  o"  the  number,  a  Chilian 
hostler  brought  horses  for  us. 

Accordingly,  we  rode  up  on  the  plain — and  such 
riding — such  steering  of  hardmouthed  beasts,  such  urging 
on  of  obstinate  ones,  and  holding  in  of  refractory  ones, 
such  tumbling  off,  and  tumbling  0:1  again,  was  never 
seen,  except  in  just  such  a  crowd. 

"  Starboard." 

"Port  your  helm." 

"  Stern  all." 

"  Hard  up,  you  lubber,  or  I  '11  cut  you  down  to  the 
water's  edge." 

Such  exclamations  resounded  constantly,  as  a  shying 
horse  would  dart  into  the  midst  of  the  party,  threatening 
to  capsize  the  half  of  them.  And  with  such  shouting, 
galloping,  and  racing,  we  at  length  reached  the  top  of 
the  plain. 

Here,  indeed,  was  a  grand  view  spread  out  before  us. 
The  town  and  harbor  lay  immediately  at  our  feet.  Beyond 
was  the  bay,  in  the  distance  Beef-top-sail  Point,  so  called 
because,  owing  to  its  peculiar  situation,  there  is,  at  almost 
all  times,  an  eddy  wind  just  off  this  point,  before 
which  vessels  are  obliged  to  shorten  sail,  on  coming  into 
the  harbor.  It  was  here,  on  this  plain,  that  the  entiie 
population  of  Valparaiso  were  gathered,  eager  spectators 
of  the  most  obstinate  sea-fight  on  record,  that  between 
Commodore  David  Porter,  in  the  United  States  ship 
Essex,  and  the  British  ships  Phoebe  and  Cherub. 

The  action  commenced  just  outside  the  harbor,  and  the 
vessels  drifted  out  under  Beef-top-sail  Point,  where  Com 
modore  Porter  dropped  anchor,  and  stood  by  his  guns 


Til  E    V  i  <!  I   L  A  N  TE  3.  229 

until  his  decks  were  too  hot  to  «taud  upon,  and  the  ship 
was  a  mass  of  flames. 

Standing  there,  we  gave  three  cheers  for  the  Essex  and 
her  commodore,  and  three  more  for  our  ship,  lying  far 
below  us,  upon  the  smooth  waters  of  the  harbor,  and  then 
galloped  back  into  town. 

We  boys  had  been  ordered  to  return  on  board  at  sunset, 
which  we  gladly  did,  well  satisfied  to  have  a  good  night's 
rest  after  our  day's  amusement. 

The  next  morning,  at  eight  o'clock,  we  were  off  for 
another  day's  jaunt  ashore.  My  yesterday  's  companion 
and  myself  determined  this  day  to  see  all  of  Valparaiso 
that  had  escaped  us  on  the  previous  day.  We  first 
directed  our  steps  toward  the  Almendral,  a  large  pleasure 
ground,  lying  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town  and  harbor. 

The  way  leads  down  alongabeauti.ul  hard  sand  beach, 
a  grand  spot  for  horse-riding.  But  riding  a  horse  through 
the  streets  of  the  city  of  Valparaiso  at  a  faster  pa  e  than 
a  very  moderate  walk,  is  a  finable  or  imprisonable  offense, 
and  this  parti  jular  piece  of  beach  is  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  city.  Vigilantes  (the  mounted  police  of  Chili,) 
are  stationed  at  every  corner,  in  readiness  to  seize  upon 
all  offenders. 

These  vigilantes  are  armed  (besides  a  sword  big  enough 
for  "William  Wallace,  the  hero  of  Scotland,)  with  a  lasso, 
which  they  manage  dexterously  to  throw  around  the  body 
of  a  galloping  horseman,  dismounting  him  rather  uncere- 
moniously from  the  back  of  his  Bucephalus. 

As  we  were  walking  slowly  along,  looking  up  at  the 
queer  old-fashioned  houses,  tiled  with  what  looked  to  us 

I 


260  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

like  long  crocks,  split  down  the  middle,  a  loud  voice  at  a 
distance  shouted  : 

"Is  the  coast  clear,  Tom?'' 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer  from  one  a  little  in  advance. 

"  Stand  clear  there,  boys,"  was  shouted  to  us,  "  we'll 
show  the  vigilantes  a  clean  pair  of  heels,"  and  plunging 
their  spurs  into  their  horses'  sides,  a  party  of  madcap 
sailors  came  tearing  down  the  beach  at  a  tremendous  pace. 

But  they  had  not  been  altogether  unobserved,  and  as 
they  passed  the  first  corner,  at  a  flying  gallop,  a  slender 
little  line  flew  in  among  the  crowd,  and  catching  one  unfor- 
tunate about  the  body,  landed  him  upon  the  sand,  as  nimbly 
as  one  lands  a  fish  ;  and  then,  with  many  "  carraillos  " 
and  "  malditos"  a  whiskered  vigilante  rode  up  to  the 
prostrate  tar,  drawn  sword  in  hand,  and  demanded  in 
most  guttural  Spanish,  what  business  he  had  that  required 
such  haste. 

The  sight  of  a  Spanish  dollar,  however,  seemed  to  have 
a  marvelously  quieting  effect  upon  his  Spanish  rage,  and 
upon  a  proper  apology  and  a  promise  being  rendered,  in 
a  mixture  of  Spanish  and  English,  by  our  lassoed  friend, 
that  he  would  make  haste  slowly  in  future,  and  the 
transfer  of  the  afore -mentioned  dollar  to  the  pockets  of 
his  excellency,  as  Tom  persisted  in  calling  him,  he  w;>s 
released  and  allowed  to  depart  in  peace. 

The  Almendral  is  a  great  resort  for  '•  liberty  men,"  as 
here  they  can  sit  down  or  walk  about  among  the  trees 
and  take  a  little  quiet  comfort,  and  as,  moreover,  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  pleasure  ground,  there  are  a  number  of 
public  houses,  with  skittle  and  bowling  alleys,  card  tables 
and  everything  fitted  for  "  a  real  day's  sport." 


W   II  A.  T      1)  O  K  S      A      S  A  I  L  0  'I      .<  K  E?  L'.'J  I 

After  seeing  all  that  was  t  >  be  seen,  we  two  hired  a, 
•  •im-iage,  and  took  a  long  drive  into  the  country,  finding, 
however,  nothing  remarkable  in  the  way  of  scenery,  and 
returned  in  time  to  take  a  late  dinner,  with  a  bowl  of 
good  chocolate,  at  the  "  Golden  Lion,"  paid  another  visit 
to  the  cathedral  and  the  plaza,  peeped  into  the  calaboose, 
and  returned  on  board,  fully  satisfied  with  our  so  long 
desired  •*  liberty."  Satisfied — at  least  I  was,  and  I 
believe  every  reasoning  being  of  the  crew  thought  with 
me — that  Valparaiso  was  a  humbug,  that  "  liberty  "  was 
a  humbug,  and  that  a  man-of-war,  considered  as  a  stand- 
point, whence  to  see  somewhat  of  the  world,  was  the  most 
egregious  humbug  of  all. 

Let  us  take  a  sober  look  at  the  matter.  Here  was  a 
ship  which  had  gone  quite  round  the  world,  (for  Valpar- 
aiso is  in  very  nearly  the  same  longitude  as  New  York,) 
had  visited  various  ports  in  the  Brazils,  the  East  Indies, 
China,  and  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  now,  wjjen  nearly 
two  years  from  home,  the  crew  was  for  the  first  time  allowed 
to  set  foot  on  shore.  Having  passed  by  with  a  distant 
view,  the  places  which  we  were  most  anxious  to  examine 
closely,  all  hands  were  at  last  permitted  to  set  foot  on 
a  foreign  shore,  and  saw — what  ?  Speaking  from  my  own 
experience :  First,  I  saw  a  lot  of  drunken  sailors.  Nextf 
a  number  of  very  fierce  looking  fellows,  with  long  sworda, 
and  villainous  countenances,  whose  principle  duty  (so  far 
as  I  could  ever  discover,)  was  to  keep  said  sailors  within 
proper  bounds.  Thirdly,  I  had  seen  a  few  trees,  a  little 
grass,  a  number  of  grog  shops  and  ten-pin  alleys,  the 
cathedral,  the  calaboose,  and  the  plaza.  And  fourthly, 
1  had  seen,  aye,  and  felt  too,  an  innumerable  host  of 
20 


MAN-OI-WAR    LIFE 

fleas.  Were  not  these  sights  rather  <1  uriy  paid  foi 
by  a  two  years'  cruise  at  sea,  deprived  of  every  com- 
fort, outside  the  pale  of  all  civilized  society,  living  on 
stinking  beef  and  pork,  and  worse  than  stinking  water? 
Truly,  I  had  "paid  too  dear  for  my  whistle." 

Seriously,  on  rehearsing  all  that  I  had  sean  during  my 
first  "  liberty/'  the  only  circumstance  that  I  could  recall 
to  mind  with  positive  pleasure,  was  the  fact  that  1  had 
stood  where  once  the  entire  people  of  a  city  were  congre- 
gated, as  in  a  vast  circus,  witnesses  to  two  companies  of 
Christian,  civilized  men  killing  and  maiming  each  other, 
one  calm  summer  afternoon,  on  the  broad  arena  of  the 
lower  bay. 

It  was  something  even  to  view  the  scene,  where  obsti- 
nate bravery  was  so  nearly  victorious  over  superior 
numbers. 

But  it  is  always  so.  The  sailor  sees  nothing  of  the 
world  r^illy  worth  seeing.  Seaports,  devoted  entirely 
to  the  shipping  interest,  as  the  vast  majority  of  such 
places  are,  generally  contain  but  little  that  is  of  real 
interest  to  the  traveler.  And  the  sailor,  who,  if  on  board 
a  naval  vessel  comes  ashore  on  a  two  or  three  days'  spree, 
or  if  in  a  merchant  ship,  takes  a  ramble  over  the  place 
when  his  hard  day's  work  is  finished,  has  neither  time 
nor  money,  nor  even  inclination  to  hunt  up  the  lions 
What  did  Tom  Starboard  or  Jack  Halyard  learn,  pray, 
of  the  general  customs  and  manners  of  the  people  of 
Chili,  during  their  three  days'  visit  to  the  shore  ?  They 
experienced  the  presence  of  a  mounted  police  ;  they  had 
informed  themselves  of  the  localities  of  the  various  grog 
shops ;  they  had  perhaps  made  the  acquaintance  of  sundry 


TOM      B  R  C  C  K 

other  persons  and  places — n  t  to  be  mentioned  to 
ji.i!itc  :  and  the  sum  total  of  their  real  information  cou- 
<•  -ruing  the  country  consisted  in  this,  that  the  people 
yjK?ak  a 'barbarous  species  of  Spanish,  and  that  their 
houses  are  infested  with  unaccountable  quantities  of  very 
large  fleas. 

And  it  will  be  so.  While  you  belong  to  a  ship,  yoi 
will  see  nothing.  And  if  one  tears  himself  loose  from 
the  restraints  and  influence  of  ship  life,  and  undertakes 
to  explore  the  country  and  gratify  a  laudable  curiosity, 
or  a  prompting  to  adventure,  he  finds  that  he  has  not  the 
powers  of  observation,  the  knowledge  of  other  phases  of 
life,  with  which  to  compare  that  which  he  is  now  wit- 
nessing, which  arc  indispensable  to  the  traveler. 

We  had  on  board  a  young  fellow,  Tom  Bruce  by  name, 
a  very  intelligent,  shrewd  man  too  in  his  way,  who  some 
years  before  had  run  away  from  a  whaleship  in  Acapulco, 
on  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico,  and  made  his  way  over- 
land, by  way  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  to  Vera  Cruz.  1 
looked  upon  him  with  the  greatest  interest,  took  him  for 
a  second  Mungo  Park,  a  salt  sea  version  of  Humboldt 
and  gave  him  no  peace  until  he  had  imparted  to  me  the 
whole  story  of  his  journey. 

And  what  think  you  was  the  information  I  gained 
from  him  concerning  the  country  and  the  inhabitants? 
Why,  that  the  women  were  pretty,  the  men  ugly,  the 
people  generally  hospitable  but  poor,  the  liquor  bad,  and 
the  country  unhealthy.  What  the  country  produced ; 
how  the  people  lived ;  what  handicrafts  were  pra  tic  d 
among  them,  and  to  what  degree  of  perfection  they  were 
carried  ;  what  were  the  prevailing  species  of  woods ;  in 


234  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

what  differed  the  vegetation  or  the  general  face  of  the 
country  from  that  at  home — all  things  which  an  intelli- 
gent traveler  would  notice  on  even  the  most  hasty  tour 
through  a  strange  land — he,  in  his  long  and  tedious 
journey  o^  many  hundreds  of  miles,  on  foot,  had  never 
thought  of  noting.  The  events  of  his  trip  were  jot  to  I 
<lcwn  in  his  mind,  in  the  formula  of  a  sort  of  land-log, 
as,  "  such  a  day,  fine  weather;  a  smooth  road ;  we  made 
so  many  miles  headway ;  met  numbers  of  people  ;  got 
dinner  at  one  o'clock,"  and  so  on — and,  will  it  be  be- 
lieved, he  had  not  even  asked  the  names  of  the  places  he 
pass  d  through,  and  could  not  when  he  got  to  Vera  Cruz 
have  pointed  out  his  route,  on  the  chart. 

Yet,  as  before  said,  this  man  was  intelligent  enough ; 
but  he  had  lost,  in  the  monotony  of  sea  life,  those  powers 
of  comparison  and  observation,  without  which  one  need 
not  go  traveling. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DEPARTURE  from  Valparaiso  —  Callao  —  California  —  Monte- 
rey—  San  Pedro  —  San  Francisco  —  Prizes. 

WHEN  all  the  crew  were  once  more  onboard  and  sober, 
we  got  underweigh,  and  in  twelve  days  ran  down  the 
coast  to  Callao.  This  is  the  seaport  of  Lima,  whi-h 
latter  city  is  situated  nine  miles  from  the  sea. 

Here  I  would  dearly  liked  to  have  gone  on  shore,  as 
Lima  is  a  place  really  worth  seeing,  and  quite  accessible 
from  the  seaport.  Its  splendid  churches  and  palaces,  its 
many  reminiscences  of  the  days  of  Pizarro  and  the  In- 
cas,  and  the  various  ancient  customs  still  in  vogue  among 
some  classes  of  the  Peruvians,  make  it  a  place  of  absorb- 
ing interest. 

But  the  business  of  the  ship  did  not  admit  of  our  tak- 
ing a  jaunt  ashore  here,  and  so  Holla's  Bridge  was  not 
crossed  by  me,  nor  was  I  permitted  to  see  the  beautiful 
P.Tiivian  ladies,  in  their  queer  head-dresses,  concealing 
all  of  the  face  except  one  eye. 

Peru  is  a  country  where  it  never  rains ;  but  the  nightly 
dew  is  equally  powerful  with  the  most  violent  rain,  so 
far  as  moistening  the  earth  is  concerned.  It  is  a  dense 

(235) 


236  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  R     L  I  F  K  I 

mist,  lasting  all  night,  and  wcttinj  through  everything 
that  is  exposed  to  it.  The  night  watches,  passed  amid 
such  weather,  are  of  course  very  unpleasant.  The  cus- 
tomary naps  on  watch  must  be  foregone,  as  the  Iccks  are 
drenched,  and  on  such  nights  I  al  A  ays  found  the  top  to 
be  the  most  comfortable  place.  Here,  snugly  ensconced 
ander  lee  of  a  stout  tarpaulin,  we  sang  soiigs  and  spun 
yarns,  and  kept  up  a  running;  fire  of  jokes,  amid  which 
the  outside  discomforts  were  i«,rgotten. 

While  in  Callao,  we  witnessed  some  preparations  for  a 
ceremony  which  takes  place  annually  on  the  Friday  pre- 
ceding Easter,  called  "  Hanging  Judas."  On  this  day. 
all  the  Peruvian  shipping,  as  well  as  the  castle,  and  1 
believe  all  the  public  buildings  in  the  town,  are  dressed 
in  mourning.  The  vessels  hang  their  yards  a- cock-bill, 
that  is,  as  nearly  perpendicular  as  may  be,  but  in  differ- 
ent directions ;  thus,  by  the  intentional  disarray,  express- 
ing their  sorrow. 

Early  in  the  morning,  an  effigy  representing  the  traitor 
who  sold  his  Master,  is  hung  upon  one  of  the  battlements 
of  the  castle,  amid  considerable  ceremony,  and  in  \iew 
of  a  large  concourse  of  people,  gathered  together  for  the 
occasion.  Flags  are  at  half-mast  all  day,  and  everything 
betokens  an  occasion  of  mourning.  At  sunset,  i  mid 
firing  of  cannon,  the  effigy  is  taken  down  and  consigned 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  an  expectant  mob,  who  kick  it 
about  and  abuse  it  in  every  imaginable  way,  not  leaving 
it  until  the  poor  man  of  straw  is  pretty  effectually  used 
up ;  all  of  whkh,  evincing,  as  it  docs,  a  huh  state  of 
moral  sentiment  among  the  rabble,  is  consideied  very 
edifying  by  the  authorities  of  Church  and  State. 


C  A  \.  L  A  0 L  I  M  A  . 


237 


We  remained  but  a  few  days  in  Callao  ;  just  long 
enough   to  allow  time  for  the  officers  to  pay  a  visit  to 
l.iuu.    and   were   th -n  off -for  the  coast  of   California. 
'I'h     line,  pure  breezes  of  the   Pacific  had  by  this  time 
their  work  upon  our  crew,  in  restoring  all,  with  a 
tvry  tew  exceptions,  to  health,  and  once  more  the  raain- 
\vas  clear  of  sick  cots,  and  all  was  gay  and  pleasant, 
where  for  so  long  there  had  reigned  sober  faces,  and  per- 
haps sober  feelings. 


e  Colors,  Arms,  Luaterr 


After  a  pleasant  but  rather  tedious  passage,  we  reached 
Monterey,  then  the  principal  port  in  all  California.  San 
1  nnicisco  being  as  yet  a  rather  unimportant  village  of 
Borne  sixty  or  seventy  houses ;  butwhi.h  bade  fair,  so 
*ii  1  the  0  1\  paper  thesi  printed  in  the  whole  country,  to 
..rs,  quite  a  population, 


238  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  "W  A  R     L  I  F  K  . 

— this  was  hazarded  as  an  extreme  guess — perhaps  a  a 
high  as  nL-e  or  ten  thousand. 

The  California  of  those  days  was  a  most  unproductive, 
or  rather  nothing-producing  country — a  great  fertile 
waste,  in  which  everything  would  grow,  but  nothing  was 
made  to  grow,  except,  indeed,  beef.  We  spent  a  long 
and  tedious  nine  months,  principally  in  Monterey,  paying 
only  one  visit  during  the  time  to  San  Francisco. 

The  American  troops  had  already  possession  of  the 
entire  coast  when  we  got  there,  but  there  were  as  yet  few 
alterations  or  improvements  made.  The  American  Gov- 
ernment would  be  but  a  poor  advancer  of  civilization,  I 
opine,  without  American  people,  with  American  enter- 
prise, to  back  it  up.  The  hills  surrounding  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay  yet  swarmed  with  cattle;  one  man,  named 
Miller,  an  American,  who  lived  at  Sousolita,  a  watering 
place  some  seven  miles  across  the  Bay  from  what  is  now 
called  San  Francisco,  then  Yerba  Buena,  was  the  owner 
of  upward  of  ten  thousand  head. 

A  bullock  could  be  bought  for  a  dollar  and  a  half ;  and 
if  one  made  a  purchase  of  a  saddle  and  bridle,  a  horse 
was  given  in  the  bargain.  The  country,  at  least  the 
portion  adjoining  the  seacoast,  whLh  was  all  1  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  visit,  had  a  bleak,  forlorn  aspect,  some- 
what like  a  long-neglected  garden.  There  was  not  a 
vegetable  on  the  whole  coast,  nothing  eatable  but  beef, 
beef,  beef — a  never-ceasing  round  of  boiled  beef,  of  which 
we  grew  so  tired  that  to  this  day  the  sight  of  a  soup- 
bone  takes  away  my  appetite.  All  imported  provisions 
were  exorbitantly  high ;  in  fact,  nothing  but  beef  was 
at  all  accessible  to"  any  one  of  a  moderate  iu^om-j.  Flour 


MONTEREY  239 

sold  at  twenty-seven  dollars  per  barrel  at  Monterey,  an  I 
even  at  that  price,  an  enterprising  Yankee  skipper  bought 
up  all  that  was  in  the  market — one  little  ship-load — to 
take  to  the  SandwL-h  Islands,  expecting  to  make  a  hand- 
Bomc  margin  on  his  investment. 

The  natives,  the  Rancher os,  lived,  as  nearly  as  ever  1 
could  find  out,  on  jerked  beef,  torlillias,  (little  cakes  of 
very  coarse  meal,  baked  on  ashes,  by  dirty  looking  Indian 
hngs,)  and  monte,  a  Spanish  game  at  cards.  The  few 
American  residents  fared  but  little  better,  except  perhaps 
in  the  matter  of  cleanliness. 

In  fact,  the  whole  country  was  so  desolate  that  we, 
the  crew  of  our  ship  that  is,  were  permitted  to  g  >  ashore 
on  several  occasions,  to  ramble  over  the  lonely  hills  and 
sterile  beach,  gathering  California  shells,  and  soda  onions. 
This  last  production  of  California  is  quite  a  curiosity. 
It  grew  at  that  time  in  wild  profusion  all  over  the  hills 
about  San  Francisco  Bay,  and  was  used  very  generally 
by  sailovs  in  the  place  of  soap.  It  is,  in  shape  and 
general  appearance  a  perfect  onion,  but  on  being  rubbed 
in  water  produces  a  lather,  equal  in  whiteness  and 
cleansing  properties  to  the  best  of  soap.  Our  crew 
gathered  great  quantities  of  this  vegetable,  and  it  was 
for  a  long  time  almost  exclusively  used  on  board  for 
washing  clothes. 

On  our  arrival  at  Monterey,  we  found  that  the  different 
vessels  composing  the  United  States  Squadron  on  that 
coast  had  Wn  doing  no  insignificant  business  in  the  way 
of  rapturing  prizes,  and  the  crews  of  several  vessels  had 
an  amount  of  prize-money  due  them  fully  equal  to  their 
iv«iular  \v  i 
L'1 


240  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

The  war  was  pretty  much  over  when  we  arrived,  and 
we  therefore  had  but  little  chan,e  to  distinguish  ourselves 
ia  that  line.  Nevertheless  we  had  the  satisfaction  of 
taking  a  prize  under  the  very  noses  of  the  entire  s  juadroii 
which  was  at  this  time  gathered  in  the  Bay  of  Monterey. 

A  little  schooner,  calle  .  the  William,  and  displaying 
American  colors  and  papers,  had  been  for  some  weeks 
lying  quietly  in  the  bay.  She  pretended  to  be  waiting 
for  a  cargo  of  hides,  and  little  attention  was  paid  to  her 
by  the  officers  of  the  men-of-war.  Our  commodore  took 
it  into  his  head  to  have  her  hold  thoroughly  searched, 
and  lo  !  and  behold  !  snugly  stowed  away  beneath  a  super- 
incumbent mass  of  casks  and  other  lumber,  were  found 
several  cases  of  arms,  the  remnants  of  a  full  cargo  which 
"her  captain  had  succeeded  in  disposing  of  to  the  Mexicans, 
at  various  points  along  the  coast.  She  of  course  became 
our  prize,  and  nearly  fifteen  thousand  dollars  in  silver, 
the  proceeds  of  her  voyage,  were  transferred  from  her 
cabin  to  our  tr.asure-box. 

Most  of  the  vessels  taken  as  prizes  by  the  United 
States  Naval  vessels  on  this  coast,  during  the  war,  for 
selling  ammunition  and  warlike  stores  of  all  kinds  to  the 
Mexicans,  were  Americans,  fitted  out  for  this  purpose  in 
American  ports,  and  sent  out  here  by  their  owners  to 
furnish  arms  to  those  who  were  fighting  their  country- 
men— a  nefarious  speculation,  to  say  the  least  of  it. 

The  Mexicans  themselves  had  but  one  or  two  small 
vessels  on  the  coast,  and  the  English  and  French  seemed 
to  have  entered  into  that  business  to  but  very  small 
extent.  It  was  left  for  our  money  loving  countrymen  to 
follow  the  example  set  in  times  past  by  the  Dutch,  of  old, 


MALKK     A  DUEL.  241 

of  selling  to  the  enemy  the  arms  wherewith  to  defen  1 
themselves. 

Among  the  vessels  belonging  to  the  Mexican  fleet 
on  this  coast  at  that  time,  was  one,  to  which,  from  the 
strange  vicissitudes  of  her  career,  (i'i  a  vessel  may  be  said 
to  have  a  career,)  a  good  deal  of  romance  attached.  This 
was  the  Malek  Adhel,  a  fleet  little  brig.  She  had  been, 
first,  smuggler,  on  the  coast  of  China,  then  pirate,  next 
slaver,  and  finally  was  bought  by  the  Mexicans,  taken 
into  the  Mexican  Navy,  and  t  aptured  while  lying  under 
the  guns  of  the  fort  at  Acapulco,  by  the  boats  of  the 
Vnited  St-iti'S  sloop  of  war  Warren.  She  was  a  very 
finely  built  vessel,  and  it  was  reported  would  sail  like  the 
wiiiil.  Certainly,  if  sharp  bows  and  square  yards, 
breadth  of  beam,  and  tauntuess  of  rig  indicate  a  clipper, 
Biie  was  one. 

Her  story  was  a  strange  one.  As  it  was  told  to  me, 
by  one  who  had  been  in  "Tier  when  she  was  a  slaver,  it 
ran  as  follows : 

She  was  built  in  Baltimore,  and  had  been  originally 
fitted  out  for  an  opium  smuggler.  After  running  in  that 
trade  two  years,  proving  herself  the  while  the  fleetest  of 
the  fleet,  her  crew,  on  a  return  passage  from  China, 
mutinied,  and,  killing  the  officers,  hoisted  the  black  flag, 
and  boldly  steered  for  the  Atlantic,  laying  under  contri- 
butions all  vessels  they  met  with  on  their  way. 

As  the  vessel,  while  in  the  smuggling  trade,  was  well 
provided  with  arms,  the  piratical  crew  found  her  ready 
fitted  to  their  hands.  After  robbing  several  Indiamen,  and 
one  or  two  country  ships,  they  got  round  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  steered  for  the  Coast  of  Brazil,  where 
16 


242  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

they  committed  various  depredations,  until,  ere  long, 
their  actions  came  to  the  ears  of  the  authorities,  and 
they  found  the  Ameri.-an  and  English  men-of-war  hot  in 
chase. 

As  those  seas  were  no  longer  safe  for  them,  the  muti- 
neers resolved  to  take  a  flying  trip  through  the  West 
India  groups,  and  here  the  vessel  was  captured,  after  a 
hard  fight,  and  those  of  the  crew  left  alive,  were  gibbeted 
in  Havana. 

The  vessel  now  came  into  the  possession  of  a  slaving 
captain,  who  refitted  her,  thoroughly  armed  her,  and 
shipping  a  crew  of  thirty  of  the  most  desperate  characters 
he  could  pick  up  in  the  pulperias  of  Havana,  sailed  foi 
the  Coast  of  Africa.  Here,  in  too  much  haste  to  proceed 
in  the  usual  manner  to  procure  his  cargo  of  slaves,  and 
forgetting  the  old  proverb  of  "  honor  among  thieves."  he 
lay  in  wait  for,  and  intercepted  two  homeward-bound 
slavers,  and  robbed  them  of  their  ill-gotten  freight. 

Having  in  this  way  made  up  his  cargo,  he  set  sail  on 
his  return.  Several  days  after  meeting  with  and  robbing 
the  slavers,  the  vessel  was  chased  by  a  British  brig  of 
war.  With  a  roaring  breeze,  the  Malek  Adhel  held  her 
own  for  two  days,  but  found  it  impossible  to  shake  off 
the  Britisher.  All  manner  of  devices  were  tried,  but 
without  success.  Even  the  horrible  expedient  of  throwing 
a  portion  of  his  slave  cargo  overboard,  was  resorted  to, 
thinking  by  thus  lightening  the  ship  she  would  sail 
faster — but  all  in  vain. 

Now  the  monster  who  commanded  her  grew  desperate, 
and  double  shotting  his  guns,  and  arming  his  crew,  he 
put  the  brig  about,  and  steered  down  for  the  British 


A      STORY      O  !•'     A      S  I,  A  V  E     SHIP.  243 

cruiser,  determine;!  to  decide  the  fate  of  the  day  in  the 
speediest  manner.  The  two  brigs  fought  for  three  hours, 
not  coming  however  during  all  the  time  to  a  hand-to-hand 
conflict,  as  in  such  case,  th:  slaver's  captai  i  was  aware 
that  the  advantage  of  superior  numbers  was  with  the 
cruiser. 

Each  tried  by  skillful  gunnery  to  cripple  the  other, 
and  finally  the  captain  of  the  slaver,  by  a  lucky  shot, 
succeeded  in  destroying  the  for  mast  of  the  British  brig. 
Hauling  his  wind  immediately,  he  now  quickly  ran 
down  athwart  the  bows  of  his  almost  helpless  enemy,  and 
discharging  two  raking  broadsides  at  her,  which  swept 
her  decks  fore  and  aft,  he  set  all  sail,  and  in  a  few  days 
had  his  slaves  landed  on  the  Island  of  Cuba. 

The  vessel  made  two  more  trips  under  the  command  of 
the  vvr  tch  who  was  h  r  captain  0:1  the  first  voyage,  and 
then  fell  into  the  hands  of  Brazilians,  who  still  however 
kept  her  in  the  slave  trade,  although  procuring  their 
cargoes  in  the  more  legitimate  manner  of  paying  for  them 
on  the  coast. 

On  the  last  of  these  voyages,  she  had  been  closely  pur- 
sued by  an  America*"1,  vessel  of  war.  but  had  succeeded  in 
throwing  h:r  cif  the  scent.  She  ran  into  one  of  the 
smaller  bays  not  far  to  the  northward  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
and  there  succeeded  in  landing  her  slaves. 

Scarcely  had  they  gotten  on  shore,  when  an  American 
schooner-of- war  made  her  appearance  at  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor.  At  sight  of  her.  the  entire  crew,  officers  ami 
men,  <>t'  tlu-  Malck  A«lh«-l.  s"einir  esr.q.e  hopeless  to  the 
i.  put  off  hastily  f«>r  the  shore,  li'.ivinir  her  an  empty 
prize  in  the  hands  ..{'  th,-  AIM.  ri  -an  s-.-ii  oner. 


244  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

By  them,  she  was  condemned  as  a  prize,  stripped  of 
her  armament,  and  sold  to  an  American  firm,  who  resold 
her  to  the  Mexican  Government,  and  she  had  been  for 
some  time  already  doing  duty  on  the  California  coast 
when  she  once  more  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 
Of  her  after  history,  I  know  nothing,  except  that  some 
of  our  oldest  tars  prophesied  no  good  for  her.  There  had 
been  too  much  blood  spilt  upon  her  decks  to  make  her  a 
lucky  craft,  they  said. 

By  a  fortunate  accident  I  was  transferred  to  the 
United  States  sloop-of-war  Warren,  while  our  ship  lay 
idly  at  Monterey,  and  in  her  made  a  trip  to  San  Pedro, 
a  bay  some  two  hundred  miles  farther  down  the  coast.  I 
thus  saw  more  of  California  than  most  of  bur  crew.  San 
Pedro  Bay  is  a  rather  poor  harbor,  formed  by  a  slight 
indentation  in  the  land,  fronted  and  partly  protected 
from  the  sea  by  two  small  islands. 

It  was,  at  the  time  of  which  I  write,  notable  simply 
as  a  hide-station,  and  as  the  port  of  a  good-sized  town, 
lying  some  thirty-seven  miles  in  the  interior,  called,  with 
true  Mexican  rodomontade,  the  Puebla  de  los  Angeles, 
or  City  of  Angels.  Several  of  the  angels,  in  enormous 
hide-boots  and  spurs,  and  fierce-looking  mustaches,  came 
down  to  the  vessel  to  transact  business  with  the  captain. 
To  say  the  best  of  them,  they  were  rather  dirty-looking 
fellows,  with  a  good  deal  <%  of  the  earth,  earthy  "  about 
them. 

The  town  which,  by  an  effort  of  the  imagination,  waa 
generally  supposed  to  be  located  at  San  Pedro,  I  found  to 
consist  of  one  hide -house,  and  a  man  to  take  care  of  it. 

The  most  interesting  spot  in  the  entire  neighborhood, 


T  II  K     C  1  T  Y    0  F    A  N  G  E  L  8  .  24  ") 

to  me,  was  the  island  fronting  the  harbor,  to  seaward 
This  was  the  abode  of  numberless  sea-fowl  which  had 
here  their  nests,  thickly  studding  the  ground,  and  which 
sometimes,  when  suddenly  disturbed,  rose  up  in  vast 
crowds,  almost  hiding  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  filling 
the  air  with  their  discordant  cries. 

A  boat's  crew  of  us  paid  a  visit  to  the  island,  where 
we  found  the  entire  shore  covered  with  nests,  nearly  all 
containing  eggs  or  young  birds,  and  so  thickly  were  they 
clustered  together  that  one  could  hardly  walk  between 
them  without  treading  upon  them.  The  birds  were  quite 
tame,  and  sat  still  upon  their  nests  or  screamed  discord- 
antly above  our  heads,  while  we  walked  through  their 
settlement. 

We  procured  a  quantity  of  eggs,  taking  of  course  only 
the  freshest  looking.  The  eggs  are  quite  palatable 
(almost  anything  was  considered  palatable  in  California 
in  those  days) ,  but  the  birds,  mostly  sea-gulls,  have  a 
strong,  fishy  taste  (arising,  probably,  from  their  living 
almost  constantly  on  fish),  which  makes  them  suitable 
or.ly  for  strong  stomachs. 

We  remained  at  San  Pedro  but  a  few  days,  as  the  har- 
bor is  not  a  safe  one,  and  as  soon  as  our  business  was 
finished  returned  to  Monterey.  Here,  everything  was  as 
we  left  it — the  same  dull  routine  of  nothing  to  do,  the 
same  everlasting  beef. 

While  lying  here  this  time,  and  before,  at  my  earnest 
petition,  I  was  returned  to  my  old  ship,  from  the  Warren, 
1  had  frequent  opportunities  to  visit  the  shore,  and  on 
one  of  these  occasions  rode  out  to  the  "Missions,"  a 


246  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

decayed  Jesuit  settlement  some  seven  miles  from  Mon- 
terey. 

Making  application  to  an  old  fellow,  near  the  water- 
side, for  horses  for  the  party  going  out,  he  mounted,  rode 
into  a  herd,  and  lassoed  the  requisite  number  of  beasts 
for  us  in  a  short  time.  Providing  them  with  saddles  and 
bridles  and  their  riders  with  one  tremendous  spur  each, 
we  were  fitted  out  for  the  trip. 

Arriving  at  the  Mission,  we  found  a  church  of  respect- 
able dimensions  but  dilapidated  appearance,  with  a  small 
house  adjoining,  for  the  padre,  and  a  cluster  of  miserable 
huts,  tenanted  by  a  lazy  and  dirty  looking  set  of  Indi- 
ans, who  sleepily  hailed  us  as  Christian  brethren,  and 
demanded,  in  return  for  the  compliment,  the  wherewithal 
to  procure  some  aguardiente.  Drinking  this  aguardiente, 
the  native  liquor,  and  playing  cards,  seemed  to  be  their 
only  amusements,  and  so  far  as  we  could  see,  the  only 
objects  of  their  lives.  They  were  a  miserable  set,  and 
the  kind  of  Christianity  inculcated  on  them  by  the 
Jesuit  priests  seemed  only  to  have  debased  them  even  to 
a  lower  standard  than  that  of  their  roving  brethren. 
During  the  Spanish  occupancy  of  the  land,  these  Mission 
Indians  were  used  as  slaves  by  the  priesthood,  who  forced 
them  to  cultivate  their  fields,  and  perform  their  menial 
offices,  granting  them  in  return  the  name  of  Christians — 
how  little  deserved  it  is  not  necessary  to  say. 

At  the  time  we  were  on  the  coast,  the  country  about 
San  Francisco  and  inland  was  being  settled  up  by  Mor- 
mons, to  whom  this  had  been  proclaimed  a  second  prom- 
ised land.     Immigrant  parties   of   them  were   arrivin 
constantly,  a  few  by  ship,  but  most  of  them  over-land, 


SUFFERINGS     OF      EMIGRANTS  247 

crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  poor  people,  intent 
only  on  reaching  as  speedily  as  possible  their  new  Canaan, 
and  possessed  in  general  of  but  little  practical  informa- 
tion regarding  the  perils  of  the  way,  started  not  unfre- 
quently  at  the  most  un propitious  season  of  the  year  for 
crossing  the  mountains,  and  suffered  dreadfully  from 
exposure  to  the  cold  among  the  snow-drifts  on  the  higher 
ranges,  as  well  as  from  want  of  provisions. 

While  we  were  lying  at  Monterey,  one  of  these  cara- 
vans was  caught  in  the  snow  in  one  of  the  passes,  and 
the  history  of  their  sufferings  scarcely  finds  a  parallel  in 
any  account  of  shipwreck  and  suffering  at  sea. 

The  party,  consisting,  if  I  remember  aright,  of  some 
sixty  persons,  men,  women,  and  children,  arrived  at  the 
highest  point  on  the  summit  of  the  range,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  February.  Here,  already  weakened  by  previous 
exposure  and  suffering,  they  were  overtaken  by  a  severe 
snow-storm,  in  which  to  travel  was  impossible.  They 
found  it  necessary,  therefore,  to  pitch  their  tents  in  this 
place,  and  endeavor  to  make  themselves  as  comfortable  as  * 
le,  until  the  weather  should  moderate. 

Meantime  the  provisions,  already  short  enough,  began 
to  fail,  and  ere  long  they  were  reduced  to  the  necessity 
of  eating  their  animals.  Still  the  snow  continued,  and 
they  were  now  imbedded  in  an  enormous  snow-drift,  out 
of  which  it  seemed  an  almost  hopeless  attempt  for  them 
to  make  their  way,  encumbered  as  the  party  was,  with 
helpless  women  and  children.  It  required  their  utmost 
exertions  to  keep  the  flickering  torch  of  life  from  going 
entirely  out,  in  the  midst  of  this  frozen  snow-bank. 
Soon  they  found  it  expedient  to  build  themselves  snow 


248  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  R     LIFE.' 

houses ;  and  now  it  truly  seemed  as  though  they  were 
never  to  get  away.  Already  some  of  the  weaker  had 
died,  and  others  were  fast  failing,  when  it  was  proposed 
that  a  party  of  six  of  the  stout  st  and  most  experienced 
should  try  to  make  their  way  to  Suter's  Fort,  then  the 
most  easterly  settlement  in  that  part  of  California,  and 
there  obtaining  aid  and  provisions,  return  to  the  succor 
of  their  unfortunate  companions. 

This  was  speedily  determined  on,  and  six  of  the  best 
woodsmen,  taking  with  them  a  scanty  supply  of  mule 
meat,  departed  on  their  rather  desperate  mission  for 
relief. 

Four  of  these  died  on  the  way,  and  it  was  not  until 
entirely  exhausted,  and  upon  the  point  of  also  giving  up, 
that  the  two  survivors  were  found  by  a  friendly  band  of 
Indians,  who  brought  them  to  the  Fcrt.  Here  one  of 
the  two  died  of  pure  exhaustion.  The  other,  named 
Foster,  by  kind  attendance  and  proper  care  was  soon 
sufficiently  recovered  to  accompany  a  band  of  hardy  back- 
woodsmen, amply  supplied  with  all  the  necessaries  of  life, 
to  the  place  where  he  had  left  his  distressed  companions. 

After  a  most  difficult  journey  of  ten  or  twelve  days, 
they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  snow  huts  in  the  moun- 
tains. Six  long  weeks  had  already  elapsed,  since  Foster 
and  his  five  companions  had  started  out  for  the  settle- 
ments, to  procure  help.  They  found,  out  of  sixty,  but  two 
left  alive. 

It  appeared  that,  not  long  after  the  party  had  started 
for  Suter's  Fort,  the  inule  flesh  was  all  consumed,  ai:d 
those  still  alive  saw  utter  starvation  storing  them  in  the 
face.  In  this  extremity,  tortured  by  the  incessant 


LOST     IN      THE      SNOW.  249 

giiawings  of  hunger,  they  cxhuraed  out  of  the  snow  the 
D  bodies  of  their  dead  companions,  and  one  after 
another  these  too  were  eaten. 

But  even  this  desperate  resort  failed  to  keep  life  going, 
in  the  ice-cold  fastness,  and  one  after  another,  children, 
women,  and  strong  men  ceased  to  struggle  with  their  fate. 
A  few  of  the  women  and  children  had  refused  10  touch 
the  loathsome  meal  set  before  them,  and  of  course  these 
were  the  first  to  go. 

But  a  few  days,  and  the  survivors  no  longer  buried  the 
dead.  They  had  not  st length,  nor  was  it  necessary,  as 
one  after  another  the  corpses  were  taken  to  provide  sus- 
tenance for  those  who  were  still  obstinately  straggling 
for  existence.  Hoping  against  hope,  the  fast  dwindling 
few  still  managed  to  retain  their  hold  on  life.  They  no 
longer  moved  about,  except  as  it  was  necessary  to  hunt 
up  a  fresh  corse,  from  which  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of 
hunger.  They  ceased  to  hold  communication  with  one 
another,  but  eyed  each  other  greedily,  thinking  of  the 
time,  perhaps  not  far  off,  when  one  would  dine  upon  the 
other. 

It  was  not  until  the  number  of  the  living  had  been 
reduced  to  two,  that  the  succoring  party  reached  them. 
And  as  Mr.  Foster  anxiously  rushed  to  the  tent  where  he 
had  left  a  wife  and  two  children,  alive,  when  he  departed 
on  his  mission  for  help,  he  saw  one  of  these  two  survivors 
reclining  between  the'  corpses  of  his  two  children,  of  one 
of  which  he  had  devoured  all  that  was  available,  while 
of  the  other,  only  part  of  the  body  had  been  consumed. 
The  soul  sickens  at  the  contemplation  of  such  a  scene. 


250  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  It     LI  F  K  : 

The  party  returned  to  the  settlements,  where,  it  was 
said,  one  of  the  two  survivors  soon  died  of  horror  at  the 
remembrance  of  the  scene  through  which  he  had  passed. 
One  can  not  help  thinking  that  death  must  have  been  a 
relief  to  one  who  had  so  horrible  an  experience  in  hia 
memory. 


CHAPTER  XV 

HOMEWARD-BOUND  —  Good-by  to  California  —  Valparaiso  —  An- 
other Liberty,  and  its  Consequences. 

WE  were  heartily  tired  of  the  dull  monotony  of  our 
California  life,  ere  we  were  in  Monterey  three  months. 
To  be  confined  on  board  ship,  in  harbor,  is  wearisome 
enough  at  any  time,  but  more  especially  so  in  so  lifeless 
a  port  as  Monterey.  In  places  of  so  great  resort  for 
men-of-war  as  are  Rio  de  Janeiro  or  Valparaiso,  various 
little  incidents  keep  the  mind  excited,  and  cause  time  to 
pass  quickly,  if  not  pleasantly.  Now,  some  saluting 
takes  place  in  the  harbor,  and  the  causes  for  it  form  a 
topic  for  conversation.  Again,  some  great  admiral  or 
governor-general  comes  aboard  to  review  the  ship,  and 
what  with  cleaning  and  polishing,  mustering,  being  gazed 
at,  and  gazing  at  the  strangers  in  return,  a  day  is  passed. 
And  so,  with  occasionally  exercising  topgallant  and  royal 
yards,  and  loosing  and  furling  sails,  listening  to  the  band, 
and  once  in  a  while  an  agreeable  book,  and  an  after  din- 
ner game  at  backgammon  or  checkers,  the  time  does  no* 
luini;  so  heavily  on  one's  hands. 

I  Miring  our  long  stay  at  Bocca  Tigris,  in  Pimm.  altl)<>uLrli 


252  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  going  ashore,  the  continual 
novelty  of  the  objects  on  the  river,  and  the  daily  ramble 
of  several  hou/s  through  the  well-supplied  bum-boats,  in- 
specting the  curiosities,  ttc.,  served  to  keep  the  mind  in 
a  state  of  healthful  activity. 

But  in  Monterey  Bay  there  were  none  of  these  things. 
jSTo  buinboats,  no  foreign  people  to  look  at,  no  strange 
vessels  comiug  in  or  goiiig  out,  nothing  to  see,  or  to  do, 
or  to  think  about.  And  a  more  tedious  life  than  ours 
could  not  therefore  well  be.  I  had  read  through  already, 
before  we  reached  the  port,  every  accessible  book  in  the 
ship,  including  a  prayer-book,  i  had  matched  myself  at 
backgammon,  against  every  player  of  note  on  board,  and 
had  become  tired  of  continual iy  beating  certain  ones,  and 
being  beaten  by  others.  1  had  spun  a  teetotum,  until 
disgust  at  the  infantile  amusement  took  possession  of  me. 

E\ery  meaas  of  amusement  had  been  tried  and  thro vvu 
aside ;  and,  in  despair,  I  was  at  last  reduced  to  the  des- 
perate expedient  of  having  my  arms  covered  with  pictures, 
pricked  in  with  needles  dipped  in  India  ink,  after  the  long- 
approved  fashion  of  old  salts.  This,  between  the  novelty 
of  the  experiment,  and  the  pain  attending  it,  served  to 
while  away  some  tedious  hours.  But,  alas !  even  this 
could  not  last  forever ;  and  when  there  was  no  longer  left 
any  room  on  my  arms,  for  additional  Neptunes,  ships,  and 
whales,  1  was  compelled  in  despair  to  re-read  some  of 
iny  old  acquaintances  among  the  books. 

My  experience  was  only  that  of  all  the  crew,  not  ex- 
cepting even  the  officers,  and  heartily  glad  were  we, 
therefore,  when  it  began  to  be  whispered  about,  that  our 
sailing-day  was  not  far  distant.  Great  was  the  rejoicing 


HOMEWARD     BOUND.  253 

amid  which  we  got  the  ship  ready  for  sea,  and  more 
willing  hands  never  bent  sails  or  sent  aloft  topgallant 
yards. 

The  boatswain's  hoarse  summons  to  "  all  hands  up 
anchor  for  the  United  States,"  was  received  with  three 
deafening  cheers,  attesting  the  heartiness  of  our  joy.  The 
capstan  bars  flew  round ;  the  anchors  were  quickly  at 
the  bows ;  the  topsails  sheeted  home  and  hoisted ;  and  as 
the  ship's  head  swung  to  the  breeze,  we  manned  the  rig- 
ging, and  gave  three  times  three  cheers,  which  were 
cordially  returned  by  the  crews  of  some  half  dozen  men- 
of-war,  then  in  port. 

And  so  we  left  California  behind  us — with  an  inward 
vow  (which  /  have  kept)  never  to  return  thither. 

For  home — for  home — this  was  what  tingled  in  every 
ear,  wreathed  every  face  with  smiles,  warmed  every 
heart,  and  changed  the  entire  life,  on  board.  Homeward- 
bound  is  the  magic  word  which  causes  the  most  obstinate 
to  relent,  the  fiercest  spirits  to  soften.  Under  its  happy 
influence,  old  feuds  are  forgotten,  and  friends  and  ship- 
mates who  have  been  estranged,  or  perhaps  at  bitter 
enmity  all  the  cruise,  now  edge  toward  each  other,  and, 
almost  before  they  know  it,  are  shaking  hands  and  laying 
out  plans  together  for  the  future. 

Discipline,  before  so  strict,  is  now  greatly  relaxed,  and 
many  little  misdemeanors  are  overlooked,  many  little 
liberties  granted,  whioh  make  the  rough  life  a  compara- 
tive pleasure.  The  bonds  of  restraint,  whieh  have  hith- 
erto kept  every  man  in  his  own  part  of  the  ship,  and 
among  his  own  class,  are  to  a  great  extent  broken  down, 
and,  in  the  dog-watches,  topmen  are  seen  clambering 


254  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

over  the  stays,  from  top  to  top,  making  social  visits* 
while,  on  fine  nights,  half  the  watch  below  stays  on  deck 
to  yarn  it,  and  sing  songs,  and  talk  about  home. 

These  are  really  halcyon  days,  when  everything  looks 
bright,  and  the  pleasures  to  come  cast  a  pleasant  sun- 
shiny gleam  over  all  the  hardships  of  the  present,  while 
the  troubles  and  suffering  left  behind  serve  only  to  give 
a  keener  relish  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  day. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  an  old  quarter-master,  "  it's  plain, 
the  girls  at  home  have  got  hold  of  the  tow-rope  now — 
and  just  see  how  they  are  dragging  the  old  ship  along." 

She  ^as  going  along,  with  as  fine  a  breeze  roaring 
through  her  rigging  and  distending  the  sails,  as  the  most 
eager  of  us  all  could  have  desired.  We  were  blessed 
with  favoring  winds  all  the  way,  not  being  detained  by 
the  usual  calm  on  crossing  the  line,  and  arrived  at  Val- 
paraiso in  forty-six  days  from  Monterev. 

Here,  all  hands  were  given  another  run  on  shore,  a 
privilege  of  which  we  were  not  sorry  to  avail  ourselves. 
As  homeward-bounders,  we  were  looked  up  to,  ashore, 
and  among  the  crews  of  the  other  men-of-war,  in  the 
harbor,  as  fortunate  beings,  as  much  to  be  envied  as 
though  we  had  come  into  the  possession  pf  great  wealth. 
And,  sooth  to  say,  we  looked  down  with  infinite  pity  upon 
the  poor  fellows  who  were  ^doomed  to  pass  another  year 
or  two  upon  the  station,  and  presumed  not '  a  little  upon 
our  superior  fortune. 

The  ship's  company  was  divided  in  four  shore  parties, 
each  division  being  allowed  three  days  liberty.  It  is 
usual  to  make  the  division  in  such  cases  by  watches,  or 
quarter-watches,  but,  in  this  case,  it  was  made  from  a 


VALPARAISO     AGAIN.  2->.'> 

good-behavior  book,  kept  by  the  captain  and  commander, 
those  whose  names  stood  highest  on  this  being  permitted 
to  go  first  on  shore,  while  those  whose  previous  misconduct 
had  placed  them  lowest,  were  reserved  for  the  last  party 
Among  this  last  party  were,  of  course,  included  all  the 
worst  drunkards,  and  wild  fellows.  But  it  so  happened, 
a^  i.s  too  often  the  case  at  sea,  that  those  whose  characters 
for  sobriety  and  general  orderliness  of  behavior  stood 
lowest  on  the  captain's  book,  were  at  the  same  time  the 
smartest  men  in  the  ship,  the  very  best  seamen.  Among 
thorn  were  included  nearly  all  the  foretopmen,  some  fore- 
castlemen,  and  a  number  of  maintopmen.  These  the 
commander  called  his  hoo-hoo  gang,  and  their  turn  on 
shore  came  last. 

Having  no  liberty-men  to  follow  them,  these  fellows 
determined  upon  having  a  grand  spree,  and  agreed  not 
to  come  off  to  the  ship  until  they  were  fairly  driven  on 
board.  Accordingly,  when  their  allotted  three  days  were 
out,  but  a  very  few  came  off,  the  balance  now  stowing 
themselves  away  in  the  Tops,  their  regular  haunts,  where 
with  plenty  of  everything  which  a  sailor's  heart  desires, 
they  awaited  the  turn  of  events. 

Such  action  was  scarcely  provided  for  on  board,  and 
one  day's  grace  was  given  them,  in  which  to  render  them- 
selves up.  Scarcely  a  man  availed  himself  of  this,  those 
who  still  remained  having  organized  themselves  into  a 
band,  determined  to  resist  any  attempts  at  a  forcible 
capture,  and  to  return  on  board  voluntarily  when  they 
had  their  spree  out. 

The  second  day  after  the  expiration  of  their  liberty, 
notice  was  given  the  I'igilantes,  ashore,  that  five  dollars 
22 


256  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

reward  would  be  paid  for  every  man  of  the  crew  rendered 
on  board. 

Several  who  had  carelessly  strayed  out  of  the  Tops 
were  brought  aboard  in  the  course  of  the  day,  the  reward 
for  their  capture  coming,  of  course,  as  it  always  does  in 
such  cases,  out  of  their  own  pockets. 

The  third  day  came,  and  now  the  reward  for  each 
man  taken  was  raised  to  ten  dollars.  This  set  the  entire 
police  force  of  Valparaiso  agog,  as  it  was  known  that 
there  were  still  nearly  one  hundred  men  ashore,  and  if 
they  could  only  capture  the  entire  party,  they  would  clear 
a  neat  little  sum. 

By  this  time,  our  tars  had  had  their  spree  out,  and 
were  willing  to  return  on  board — but  not  as  captives, 
and,  worse  yet,  with  the  prospect  of  paying  for  their  own 
capture.  But  the  vigilantes  were  unwilling  to  allow 
their  prey  to  escape  so  easily,  and  refused  to  let  them 
pass  out  of  the  Tops,  except  as  prisoners. 

"  Well,"  said  one  of  the  party,  when  this  news  was 
brought  into  the  Tops  by  a  few  of  their  number  who  had 
been  holding  a  parley  with  the  police,  "  if  they  want  us, 
let  them  come  and  get  us — and  let  us  get  ready  for  them, 
boys,  for  we  must  get  aboard  to-day,  somehow." 

All  hands  now  armed,  some  having  shovels,  some  ham- 
mers, others  old  chairs,  billets  of  wood,  table  legs,  in 
short,  anything  that  came  first  to  hand,  and  the  entire 
party  moved  in  a  solid  body  down  to  Mizzentop,  that 
part  of  their  stronghold  nearest  the  Mole. 

AVhile  consulting  what  was  next  to  be  done,  they  weie 
near  being  surprised  by  a  considerable  party  of  dis- 
mounted vigilantes,  who,  having  skirted  around  the  base 


A     ROW    WITH     THE     SPANIARDS.  257 

of  the  hills,  were  now  advancing  upon  their  rear.  At 
the  same  time,  another  force  appeared  in  front,  and  the 
party  seemed  about  to  be  surrounded. 

11  Stick  together,  boys,  and  we'll  drive  these  fellows 
before  us  down  to  the  Mole ;  and  if  we  reach  that,  we 
are  s  ifc,"  said  one  of  the  leaders. 

No  .sooner  said  than  done.  Without  giving  the  party 
app  (.aching  their  rear,  time  to  catch  up,  the  tars  charged 
upo.i  the  company  of  vigilantes  in  front,  and,  throwing 
some  down  the  steep  side  of  the  Mizzentop  hill,  knocking 
d'lwn  ethers,  and  driving  the  balance  before  them,  they 
fought  their  way  gallantly  down  through  the  narrow 
street  leading  to  the  Mole,  and  reached  the  plaza  at  its 
extremity,  without  serious  injury  being  done  to  any  one 
<  f  them. 

On  reaching  the  plaza,  they  were  stopped  by  a  multi- 
tu<lr  of  the  people,  «Tho  had  congregated  there  to  witness 
the  capture  of  Jack.  Forcing  their  way  through  these, 
and  still  keeping  the  vigilantes  at  bay,  they  finally  made 
their  way  to  the  water  stairs ;  but  here,  alas  !  there  was 
no  boat  to  receive  them.  This  was  an  emergency  which 
ha«l  not  been  foreseen  by  our  tars,  who  now  sa'w  them- 
s.-lv  s  caught  in  a  trap — the  water  at  their  backs,  the 
p'lli.-e  in  front  and  flank. 

}>ut  they  did  not  give  up.  They  asserted  their  privi- 
to  render  themselves  on  board  without  the  aid  of 
r////7<////r.v.  while  these  latter  demanded  the  right  to  deliver 
them  to  their  officers. 

"  Come  and  take  us,"  was  again  the  cry,  and  the  police 
and  the  multitude  closed  in  upon  the  little  band,  charg- 
iiu  upon  them  with  swords  and  lances.  Our  fellows, 
17 


258  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

who  had  intrenched  themselves  behind  some  spiles,  de- 
fended themselves  desperately  with  stories  of  which  there 
was  a  plentiful  supply  at  hand,  and  not  a  few  Chileno 
ekulls  bore  witness  to  the  accuracy  of  their  aims. 

All  this  passed  in  plain  view  of  us  who  were  on  board, 
impatient  and  excited  witnesses  of  our  shipmates'  defense. 
As  ever  and  anon  a  Chilian  would  fall  victim  to  some 
well-aimed  missile,  a  little  subdued  shout  would  go  up 
from  the  crowd  congregated  upon  the  forecastle,  while  a 
low  murmur  attended  a  similar  misfortune  to  one  of  our 
fellows. 

But  now  the  battle  grew  fiercer.  The  police,  pressed 
on  by  the  multitude  behind,  charged  desperately,  and 
succeeded  in  dislodging  a  part  of  the  sailors,  who  were 
driven  by  main  force  off  the  wharf  and  into  the  water. 
Some  few  of  these  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  picked  up 
by  several  merchant  vessels'  crews,  w^iich  chanced  to  be 
there,  but  these  rapidly  pulled  away  from  the  scene  of 
action,  fearful  of  getting  their  boats  stove  by  some  of  the 
rocks  which  now  began  to  fly.  Those  still  remaining  in 
the  water  clung  to  spiles  ai>d  floating  timber,  and  were 
there  helpless  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  police,  who  stood 
above  them,  throwing  pieces  of  rock  upon  their  heads. 
The  little  band  on  shore  still  defended  themselves  as  best 
they  could,  and  maintained  their  position  behind  the 
timbers. 

But  a  few  minutes  more,  and  our  boats  were  at  the 
stairs,  and,  making  a  last  mad  rush  at  their  assailants, 
our  tars,  picking  up  their  wounded,  ran  hastily  down  the 
stairs,  the  boats  shoved  off,  and  all  was  over.  Those  iu 
the  water  had  of  course  been  picked  up  tirst  The  b  ats 


OFF     FOR     CAPE     HORN.  259 

arrived  none  too  soon  to  save  our  men.  Many  of  them 
were  wounded,  and  several  were  so  badly  hurt  as  to  be 
confined  to  the  sick  bay  the  greater  portion  of  the  pa&- 
sage  to  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

To  what  extent  the  police  force  of  Valparaiso  was  in- 
jured in  the  melee,  we  never  learned,  as  we  sailed  the 
succeeding  morning  for  Rio,  which  port  was  to  be  our 
last,  this  side  of  home. 

Sailing  once  more  past  Reeftopsail  point,  we  made  the 
best  of  our  way  with  a  strong  and  favoring  breeze  toward 
Cape  Horn.  Our  cruise  was  now  fast  drawing  to  a  close, 
and  every  one  that  knew  how  was  busied  about  some  kind 
of  fancy  work,  with  which  to  make  a  show  on  shore,  or 
perhaps  for  the  next  voyage  or  cruise.  Some  spent  weeks 
in  making  a  nice  suit  to  go  ashore  in.  and  frocks  with 
beautifully  embroidered  collars  and  bosoms,  of  blue  silk, 
blue  jackets  with  velvet  collars  and  cuffs,  and  two  rows 
of  pearl  buttons  on  each  side,  threatened  to  become  the 
fashion,  while  Tliere  were  not  wanting  tars  whose  extrava- 
gant fancy  was  not  satisfied  with  less  than  a  complete 
row  of  pearl  buttons  down  the  outside  seam  of  their  mus- 
tering trowsers. 

Others — these  were  the  utilitarians — giving  little  heed 
to  fancily-embroidered  clothes,  were  busied  about  braided 
hammo.'k  lashings  and  clews,  and  bag- lanyards,  while  a 
few,  remembering  the  young  folks  at  home,  were  expend- 
ing all  their  sailor  craft  in  fitting  up  skip -ropes,  or  ar- 
ranging the  rigging  for  some  miniature  vessel,  destined  to 
grace  the  parlor  mantel,  and  form  a  reminiscence  of  the 
days  spent  in  the  Service. 

All  this  work  was   however    put    a   stop  to  by  OUT 


260  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

approach  to  the  told  weather  of  the  southern  latitudes. 
For  ten  or  twelve  days  after  leaving  Valparaiso,  we  held 
our  course  to  the  south-south-west,  in  order  the  more 
surely  to  strike  the  south-westerly  winds,  which  would 
then,  having  made  a  good  southing,  be  entirely  fair  for 
us.  In  two  weeks  after  leaving  the  coast  of  Chili,  we 
were  in  the  long,  powerful  swell  of  the  South  Pacific,  and 
bearing  along  gallantly  under  a  pi  ess  of  canvas,  for  the 
Horn. 

While  yet  steering  south,  we  one  day  saw  a  large 
school  of  whales,  the  largest  school  we  had  seen  during 
the  cruise.  They  were  standing  to  the  north,  forging 
ahead  slowly  through  the  water,  their  vast  heads  divid- 
ing the  waves,  their  smooth,  black  backs  gleaming  over 
the  surface  as  they  made  their  way  against  the  wind  and 
sea.  They  would  have  been  no  inconsiderable  prize  to 
some  outward-bound  sperm-whaler  ;  to  us  they  were  sim- 
ply objects  of  curiosity.  I  watched  them  as  long  as  I 
could  see  the  bushy  spray  of  their  spout,  and  determined 
within  my  own  mind  that  if  life  was  spared  me  I  would 
experience  myself  some  of  the  hardships  and  dangers 
associated  with  whaling. 

It  being  the  latter  part  of  November  when  we  sailed 
from  Valparaiso,  we  were  off  the  Horn  in  December,  the 
hight  of  summer  in  those  latitudes.  We,  therefore,  con- 
fidently expected  that  we  should  have  fine  weather  and 
fair  winds,  in  neither  of  which  expectations  were  we 
deceived. 

By  summer  off  the  Horn  is  not  to  be  understood  such 
weather  as  is  called  by  that  name  in  the  United  States. 
The  wind  is  sharp  and  biting,  and  the  nights  are 


OFF    THE    HORN.  261 

y  uncomfortably  cold.  The  days  are  much  lika 
f  ne  March  days  in  the  latitude  of  New  York,  and  pea- 
jackets  and  mittens  are  at  all  times  welcome.  Yet  this 
weather  is  infinitely  preferable  to  the  bitter  cold,  s'.ormy 
winter  of  the  same  latitude.  The  difference  between  the 
t.vo  seasons  here  is  said  to  be  even  greater  than  in  the 
more  temperate  climes. 

The  most  important  advantage  gained  by  doubling  the 
Horn  in  the  summer  season,  is  in  the  length  of  the  days. 
When  we  were  off  the  Cape,  the  sun  rose  at  a  little  after 
two  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  did  not  again  disappear  below  the 
horizon  until  ten  o'clock  at  night.  Having  at  the  same 
time  a  brilliant  full  moon,  with  the  long  twilights  of  the 
high  latitudes,  we  were  able  to  read,  on  deck,  at  any  time 
of  the  night. 

In  stormy  weather,  this  long  continuance  of  daylight 
greatly  facilitates  the  working  of  the  ship,  and  eases  the 
labors  of  the  sailor.  In  the  winter  season  the  days  are 
from  four  to  six  hours  long,  and  for  the  balance  of  the 
twenty-four  hours  the  storm  wind  is  to  be  met  and  over- 
come in  the  dark. 

It  seemed  very  strange  to  us  to  turn  into  our  ham- 
mocks at  broad  daylight,  and  for  some  days  1  persisted 
in  remaining  upon  deck,  until  at  least  the  sun  sank  out 
of  sight.  These  daylight  night-watches  were  very  pleas- 
ant. Although  broad  light,  it  was  supposed  to  be  night, 
and  all  the  etijuette  observed  in  daytime  was  dismissed. 
All  work,  of  course,  was  suspended,  and  the  watch  on 
deck,  with  a  goodly  portion  of  the  watch  below,  congre- 
gated on  the  quarter-deck  and  in  the  waist,  and  sitting  • 
close  together  to  keep  warm,  played  at  various  nautical 


2)2  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

games,  such  as  the  Priest  of  the  Parish,  and  Doubling 
Cape  Horn,  the  merry  jest  and  song  going  the  rounds  in 
the  meantime,  until,  in  the  pleasing  excitement  of  the 
hour,  we  forgot  cold  feet  and  han  Is  and  other  minor  dis- 
conrorts. 

When  directly  south  of  Cape  Horn,  although  not  in 
sight  of  land,  being  too  far  to  the  southward,  our  breeze 
died  away,  and  we  lay  for  three  days  becalmed,  sur- 
rounded all  this  time  by  albatrosses  and  cape  pigeons, 
the  only  inhabitants  of  the  lonely  waste  about  the  Horn. 

In  a  calm,  these  birds  approach  very  near  to  the  vessel, 
eagerly  picking  up  any  scraps  of  meat  or  other  eatable 
that  may  be  thrown  overboard.  Taking  advantage  of 
their  greediness,  we  caught  several  dozen  albatrosses,  by 
means  of  a  hook  baited  with  a  piece  of  pork,  and  allowed 
to  float  astern.  The  hook  and  bait  are  kept  at  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  by  means  of  a  broomstick  or  other  light 
piece  of  wood,  to  which  the  line  is  made  fast.  The  alba- 
tross no  sooner  gets  his  eye  upon  it  than  he  gulps  it 
down. 

Then  begins  in  general  some  exciting  sport.  They 
have  great  power  of  resistance  in  thiir  feet  and  wings, 
and  use  it  to  the  utmost,  making  it  quite  an  undertaking 
to  haul  one  in.  To  this  purpose,  you  watch  the  pitching 
of  the  vessel.  As  her  bows  go  down  and  her  stern  rises 
high  in  mid-air,  the  captive  bird  is  dragged  along  by  the 
resistless  power  of  the  wave.  When  the  stern  begins  tc 
settle,  the  slack  line  is  quickly  pulled  in,  and  again  be- 
layed as  she  rises  aft.  And  so  by  degrees  he  is  dragged 
up  und^r  the  stern,  and  pulled  in  on  deck,  amid  a  great 
fluttering  of  wings,  and  an  ugly  snapping  of  his  heavy 


C  A  T  C  II  1  N  <!      A  L  B  A  T  II  0  S  S  E  S  .  263 

sharp  bill,  which  tells  plainly  that  his  ire  is  roused  by 
this  treatment. 

Once  on  deck  and  he  is  safe — -so  far  as  getting  away 
is  concerned.  No  real  sea-bird  can  take  wing  off  the 
flat  deck  of  a  vessel,  and  the  alo.  tross  is  a  particularly 
awkward  and  heavy  bird  in  rising  on  the  wing,  often, 
when  the  sea  is  calm,  being  obliged  to  paddle  along  the 
surface  for  two  or  three  ships'  lengths,  flapping  his  wings 
all  the  while,  before  getting  a  fur  start.  But  when  he 
once  gets  underway,  there  is  not  a  grander  sight  than  to 
watch  him  sailing  along,  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time, 
without  the  least  exertion  of  his  immense  wings,  now 
skimming  along  the  glassy  surface,  now  rising  grandly 
skyward,  and  anon  darting  down  like  a  flash,  into  the 
wave,  and  bringing  up  in  his  beak  an  unfortunate  fish, 
or  piece  of  blubber,  or  refuse  from  the  ship. 

Standing  on  deck,  a  captive,  the  albatross  has  a  noble, 
proud  look,  which  often  makes  him  frLnds  among  his 
captors.  He  casts  his  eye  around  him  with  an  air 
of  lofty  scorn,  as  though  disdaining  to  tag  his  life  at 
the  hands  of  man.  He  is  not,  either,  above  cherishing  a 
desire  for  revenge  for  the  indignities  he  has  suffered,  as 
the  quick,  sharp  snap  of  his  powerful  beak,  when  anything 
is  presented  near  it,  sufficiently  attests. 

But,  like  his  conqueror,  man,  his  better  qualities  vnly 
«x>me  to  light  when  adversity  overtakes  him.  Place  him 
in  his  element,  and  give  him  prosperity  (plenty  of  unro- 
mantic  fat  pork) ,  and  he  becomes  at  once  selfish,  and 
greedy,  and  mean,  and  uses  the  power  of  his  beak  and 
wings  to  oppress  the  weaker  among  his  brethren,  and 
lob  them  of  the  products  of  their  skill  or  daring. 
23 


264  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

I  have  often  watched  a  wary  old  albatross,  who  had 
felt  the  Look,  and  learned  to  view  a  piece  of  pork  with  a 
certain  degree  of  distrust,  as  he  would  lay  off  at  ease, 
while  a  little  inexperienced  fellow  would  confidently 
swim  up  and  get  the  piize.  But,  alas!  before  he  had 
time  to  swallow  it,  the  large  one  is  upon  him,  and  wrests 
it  from  his  very  throat. 

The  sailors  take  advantage  of  this  greedy  disposition, 
to  make  themselves  a  bit  of  sport  They  take  a  stout 
cord,  two  or  three  feet  long,  and  fasten  solidly  to  each 
end  a  lump  of  pork,  then  throw  this  contrivance  to  the 
birds.  No  sooner  does  it  strike  the  water  than  it  is 
pounced  upon  by  a  gony  (as  they  are  called  by  seamen) . 
He  swallows  one  piece,  but  ere  he  has  time  to  gulp  down 
the  whole  mess,  another  bird  has  taken  down  the  remain- 
ing piece  of  pork,  and  the  two  are  linked  together  by  the 
head. 

Now  comes  a  tussle  and  tugging,  each  one  of  course 
desiring  to  go  his  own  way,  until  generally  the  weaker 
of  the  two,  after  a  desperate  struggle,  gives  up  his  share — 
only,  however,  to  be  seized  by  another,  when  the  same 
scene  is  re-enacted,  until  at  last  some  lucky  fellow  man- 
ages to  get  off  with  the  entire  booty. 

We  captured  a  "  gony,"  on  the  last  day  of  the  calm, 
who  measured  from  tip  to  tip  of  his  wings,  thirteen  feet 
six  inches.  They  are  not  unfiequcntly  found  to  spread 
fifteen  feet. 

Our  calm  was  succeeded  by  a  strong  breeze  from  south- 
south-west,  with  which  behind  us,  we  wallowed  through 
the  vast  billows  off  the  Horn,  at  a  rate  which  filled  every 
heart  with  pleasure.  A  few  weeks  brought  us  again  into 


CAPE     PRIO.  2f>fj 

pleasant  weather,  and  once  more  we  had  exchanged  win- 
ter for  summer,  the  sombre  albatross  for  the  gay  tropic 
bird,  the  bright  and  many-colored  dolphin  for  the  lonely 
Cape  pigeon. 

Then  came  the  scraping,  and  scrubbing,  the  tarring, 
]>  anting,  and  trimming  up,  \vhich  was  to  give  to  out 
ship  an  appearance  in  accordance  with  the  gay  harbor 
of  Rio,  which  we  were  now  fast  Hearing. 

At  length,  Cape  Frio  hove  in  sight,  and  the  vast  Sugar 
Loaf,  looming  up  against  the  sky,  was  hailed  as  an  old 
acquaintance,  whom  we  were  glad  enough  once  more  tc 
look  upon. 

And  as  the  dear  old  craft  bore  nobly  into  the  harbor 
of  Rio,  there  were  few  hearts  on  board,  I  opine,  that  did 
not  send  up  a  fervent  and  deep-felt  thanksgiving  to  the 
Giver  of  all  good,  who  in  His  mercy  had  brought  us 
s:ifely  through  so  many  dangers,  so  many  trials  and  hard- 
ships, thus  far  on  our  way  home.  And  when,  on  the 
first  Sabbath  in  port,  the  white  Bethel  flag  at  the  peak 
called  all  hands  to  church,  an  unusual  stillness  and 
respectful  attention  to  the  services  of  the  occasion,  pro- 
claimed the  deep  feeling  of  gratitude  which  reigned 
throughout  the  ship. 

Sailors  are  rough  fellows,  and  have  their  full  share  of 
the  weaknesses  incident  to  our  common  humanity ;  but, 
careless  and  light-hearted — and  often  positively  wicked — 
as  is  jour  real  tar,  no  man  has  a  warmer  or  more  easily 
t  uched  heart  than  he ;  no  one  is  more  susceptible  to  the 
deeper  and  better  feelings  of  our  nature  :  and,  as  his  life 
is  one  of  so  constant  vicissitude,  as  he  is  so  unceasingly 
held  as  it  were  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand,  who  rules  tht 


20(5  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

storm-wind  and  the  billow,  so  are  there  in  the  experi- 
ences of  his  soul  depths  of  gratitude  and  upheavings  of 
the  spirit  toward  its  Creator  and  Preserver,  to  whii-h  the 
landsman,  pursuing  the  more  even  tenor  of  his  way,  is 
perhaps  a  stranger.  Rough  and  plain  spoken  as  he  is, 
there  is  no  tenderer  heart  than  Jack's.  There  is  no 
kinder  nurse  in  sickness,  no  less  selfish  companion  in  the 
every-day  pursuits  of  life,  no  more  open-handed  and  free- 
hearted giver  to  the  poor  and  needy,  than  he  of  the 
b.  on  zed  cheek  and  tarry  frock 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

LEATE  Rio  de  Janerio — The  Last  Passage — Norfolk — Paid  off. 

WHILE  assisting  the  quarter-master  in  trimming  the 

after  windsail  one  day,  during  our  stay  at  Rio,  he  pointed 
out  to  me  a  little  heavily  sparred,  black  schooner,  lying 
in  the  inner  harbor,  among  other  shipping  which  he 
declared  to  be  a  veritable  slaver.  My  curiosity  was 
greatly  excited,  and  I  gave  my  friend  no  rest  until  he 
permitted  me  to  take  a  long  look  through  the  spyglass,  at 
the  suspicious  craft. 

As  may  be  supposed.  I  found  her  to  differ  but  little 
from  other  vessels  of  her  rig  and  build.  Her  spars  were 
disproportionately  heavy  and  taunt,  and  she  was  cop- 
pered high  up  above  the  water-line,  both  peculiarities 
likely  to  aid  her  in  getting  through  the  water,  but  other- 
wise she  had,  to  my  disappointment,  nothing  about  her 
which  might  not  be  seen  on  the  most  common-place 
coaster  or  pilot-boat. 

"  But."  said  I  to  my  friend,  "  how  dares  she  show  her- 
self in  here  if  she  is  really  a  slaver?" 

"  All  her  slaving  gear,  decks,  irons,  and  galley,  were 
taken  out  of  her  in  the  port  where  she  landed  her  slaves, 
and  she  probably  came  in  here  with  a  false  set  of  papers 

(2G7) 


268  MAN-OF-WAR     L  I  F  F  ' 

certifying  her  to  be  a  trader  of  some  kind.  She  will 
procure  here  her  stores  for  the  next  trip,  return  to  her 
last  port  for  deck,  etc.,  and  then  start  again  for  the 
coast  of  Africa.  And  thus,  although  every  body  in  the 
port  knows  her  real  business  none  of  the  men-of-war 
can  touch  her,  because  they  can't  prove  it.  But  some- 
times they  catch  them  nevertheless,  by  folio  wing  them 
out,  tracing  them  to  the  refitting  port,  aud  then  lying 
in  wait  for  the  vessel  outside.  But  they  have  got 
up  to  that  trick  now-a-days,  and  manage  to  circumvent 
the  cruisers,  by  sending  out  spying  boats,  who  inako 
report  whether  or  not  the  coast  is  entirely  clear." 

While  we  were  yet  speaking,  a  mizzentopman,  one  of 
my  watchmates,  came  up,  and  took  a  look  at  the  object 
of  my  curiosity. 

"  Ain't  she  a  beauty,  Jack,"  said  the  quarter-master, 
admiringly. 

"  Yes,  and  many  a  beauty  like  her,  I've  seen  sawed  in 
two  on  the  beach  in  St.  Helena.  That's  the  only  thorough 
cure  for  a  craft  that's  once  got  into  the  habit  of  going  to 
the  West  Coast." 

"  Do  they  saw  them  in  two,  then,  when  they  catch 
them?"  inquired  I. 

*'  Yes,  and  old  Jimmy  Squarefoot  himself  could  not 
put  them  together  again.  I've  seen  some  of  the  finest 
cmft  that  ever  sailed,  spoiled  in  that  way,  and  rotting  on 
Jamestown  beach." 

I  had  long  been  desirous  to  know  what  was  done  with 
slavers  and  their  crews,  when  they  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  English  cruisers,  and  as  Jack  Matthews  had  been 
some  years  on  the  Coast  (as  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  is 


BIO    DE    JANEEI  O— V  I  8  I  T  I N  G  .  269 

called],  in  one  of  the  British  cruisers,  and  had  assisted 
at  the  capture  of  many  slavers,  I  did  not  let  slip  the 
occasion  to  get  him  to  promise  me  a  yarn  on  that  subject 
when  we  were  once  more  at  sea. 

"The  first  quarter-watch  we  have  aloft,  Jack,"  said  I. 

"Yes,  if  you  put  me  in  mind  of  it,"  answered  be, 

gflbd-naturedly. 

Our  stay  at  Bio  was  short.  To  replenish  our  supply 
of  water,  and  take  in  a  few  stores,  was  the  work  of  but 
little  more  than  a  week,  aud  then  we  were  off  for  home, 
indeed.  The  few  days  spent  this  time  in  Rio  harbor 
passed  very  pleasant^.  The  one  thought  which  seemed 
uppermost  in  every  mind — that  we  were  now  homeward 
bound — was  in  itself  sufficient  to  lift  us  above  the  com- 
mon every-day  disagreeablen  sses  of  man-of-war  life.  But 
in  addition  to  this  rather  imaginary  lightcner  of  labor, 
\ve  cxjKirienced  at  this  portion  of  the  cruise,  many  plea- 
sures of  which  outward-bounders  are  left  in  ignorance. 

Among  these,  not  the  least  was  the  deference  paid  to 
us  by  the  crews  of  the  men-of-war  in  port,  which  had  but 
lately  arrived  from  the  States.  We  were  looked  up  to, 
not  only  as  privileged  mortals,  in  that  we  were  now  upon 
the  eve  of  concluding  happily  a  not  unimportant  episode 
in  our  lives,  but  also  as  the  heroes  (self-constituted,  to  be 
sure)  of  a  somewhat  eventful  voyage  around  the  world. 

As  there  was  but  little  to  do  on  board,  and  these  were 
the  days  of  unusual  privileges,  little  parties  were  per- 
mitted to  spend  a  portion  of  each  day  on  board  one  01 
other  of  the  American  men-of  war  in  harbor,  a  species  of 
liberty  of  which  we  \MT<-  irlud  to  take  advantage.  .Many 
of  our  men  had  shipmates  on  board  of  the  other  v« 


270  M  A  N  -  0  F  -  W  A  II     L  I  F  K  : 

and  those  who  had  none  soon  made  acquaintances,  sc 
that  these  visits  formed  a  very  pleasant  variety  in  our 
liie. 

On  these  occasions,  I  always  found  that  our  crew  would 
consort  principally  with  those  of  the  other  vessels  who 
were  stationed  in  the  same  part  of  the  ship  as  they. 
Thus,  our  foretopmen  were  sure  to  be  found,  when  on  a 
visit,  among  the  foretopmen  of  the  other  ship,  the  fore- 
castlemen  took  their  stand  about  the  bows,  while  the 
maintopmen  were  seen  congregating  in  the  waist.  And 
not  unfrcquently,  when  one  found  an  old  shipmate,  on 
leaining  that  he  was  stationed  in  a  different  part  of  the 
ship,  there  would  be  an  expression  of  disappointment, 
and  often  a  positive  estrangement.  The  spell  seemed  to 
some  degree  broken.  So  imuh  are  we  the  creatures  of 
habit,  that  a  friend  in  altered  circumstances  seems  a 
friend  no  longer. 

On  going  for  the  first  time  on  board  a  strange  ship, 
among  several  hundred  men,  with  not  one  of  whom  I  \\  a-J 
acquainted,  I  felt  somewhat  ill  at  ease,  fearirg  that  1 
should  not  be  so  fortunate  as  to  make  some  friends.  But 
my  uneasiness  was  needless.  I  was  not  five  minutes  on 
board,  was  still  standing  in  the  gangway  of  the  frigate, 
looking  at  the  arrangement  of  the  upper  deck,  somewhat 
different  from  ours,  when  I  was  accosted  by  a  boy  of 
about  my  own  age,  who  said : 

"  To  what  part  of  the  ship  do  you  belong?" 

"  To  the  mizzentop,"  I  answered. 

"  That's  all  right,  come  along  with  me,"  said  he,  slip- 
ping his  arm  through  mine,  and  ere  half  an  hour  vaa 
past,  I  was  sitting  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  topmates, 


THE     GKNKROSITY      OF     SAILORS.  27  I 

as  ranch  at  home  as  though  we  had  made  a  ?niis« 
together. 

Of  course  on  such  occasions,  numberless  questions  were 
asked  concerning  the  ports  we  had  visited,  to  some  of 
which  they  too  were  bound,  'lough  yarns  were  spun 
by  our  fellows,  of  sjrapes  ashore,  and  of  various  events 
of  the  cruise,  while  we  in  turn  got  the  latest  news  from 
the  States,  what  changes  had  taken  place  afloat  and 
ashore,  during  our  long  absence,  together  with  advice  as 
to  the  best  course  to  be  pursued  after  we  should  be  paid 
off  and  discharged. 

Visiters  are  always  entertained  with  the  best  on  board. 
The  stranger  has  the  place  of  honor  at  the  mess ;  he  is 
served  first,  and  with  the  choicest  portions  of  the  rough 
fare,  and  no  possible  mark  of  attention  is  omitted.  And 
if  there  is  anything  he  particularly  fancies,  yea,  even  to 
the  half  of  Jack's  possessions,  it  is  his. 

Thus,  on  the  first  visit  I  made,  when  of  course,  I  was 
thrown  among  entire  strangers  I  was  shown  some  new 
books.  I  looked  them  over  with  great  interest,  and 
chanced  to  say  that  I  would  like  to  read  a  certain  one. 
No  more  was  said  at  the  time,  but  when  I  was  about  to 
jeturn  on  board,  in  the  evening,  a  package  was  put  in  my 
hand  by  a  stranger,  who  vanished  before  T  could  ask  him 
what  it  was.  On  opening  it  when  I  got  on  board  our 
ship,  1  found  the  identical  book  I  had  desired  to  read. 
To  refuse  a  gift  of  this  kind,  or  even  to  express  any  sense 
of  obligation  in  accepting  it,  would  cause  pain  to  the 
donor,  and  to  ofler  pay  for  it  would  be  an  unpardonable 
offense. 

There  is  no  more  liberal -hearted  fellow  than  a  man- of- 


272  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

war's-man.  His  greatest  delight  is  to  divide  his  little 
stock  of  wordily  goods  with  some  ill-furnished  acquaint- 
'  ance,  and  he  would  give  away  his  last  shirt  and  to  an 
utter  stranger,  and  feel  happy  as  a  kin^  in  doing  so. 
Numberless  were  the  souvenirs  of  friendship  exchanged 
between  our  crew  and  those  of  other  vessels,  while  we  lay 
in  Bio.  A  party  of  mizzentopmen  of  one  of  the  frigates, 
sent  aboard  to  me  one  day.  before  we  sailed,  and  when  I 
had  already  taken  leave  of  them,  probably  never  to  see 
them  more,  a  complete  suit  of  winter  clothing,  to  wear 
when  we  should  get  into  cold  weather  on  the  American 
coast.  And  I  am  sure  that  nothing  gave  the  donors 
greater  pleasure  than  the  knowledge  that  I  would  not 
have  a  chance  to  thank  them — that,  in  fact.  1  scarueh 
knew  whom  to  thank.  Many  of  our  crew  were  favored 
in  the  same  way,  and  scarcely  one  but  was  able  to  show 
some  article  of  use  or  ornament,  the  gil't  of  one  of  our 
new-made  friends.  In  like  manner,  as  we  were  about  to 
leave  the  Tropics,  we  distributed  our  white  f.ocks  and 
trowsars,  and  light  hats  among  the  crews  of  the  other 
vessels,  and  few  that  had  any  curiosities  to  give  away, 
but  parted  with  them  here. 

Paving  taken  in  our  stores,  bid  good-bye  to  friends,  and 
fired  one  last  salute,  we  weighed  anchor  and  stood  out  to 
sea,  taking  our  last  look  at  the  Sugarloaf  and  Cape  Frio, 
with  feelinzs  much  more  pleasurable  than  were  enter- 
tained when  we  took  leave  of  these  objects  somewhat 
over  two  years  and  a  half  before,  a  period  when  we  were 
just  launching  out  on  the  cruise  which  was  now  nearing 
its  completion. 

The  passage  home  was  a  real  pleasure -trip.     No  mere 


JACK    MATTHEWS        YARN.  27'1 

general  quarters,  or  exercising  at  the  guns,  no  more 
black-listing,  or  other  punishment,  no  work  of  any  kind, 
except  what  was  actually  necessary.  Nothing  to  do,  but 
talk  of  home,  ami  lay  plans  tor  the  future  v.hijh  now 
loomed  out  so  brightly,  ahead. 

How  impatient  we  grew  at  any  slackening  of  the 
breeze,  or  signs  of  its  hauling  ahead  !  How  each  hour's 
progress  was  counted,  even  before  it  was  made  !  How 
attentively  each  one  kept  his  reckoning,  and  from  the 
daily  progress  made  hazarded  guesses  at  the  probable 
duration  of  the  passage  !  I  still  look  ba^k  to  those  last 
few  days  spent  upon  the  old  ship,  with  unalloyed  pleas- 
ure. The  feeling  of  hopeful  suspense,  the  being  about  to 
turn  a  long-expected  and  bright  future  into  a  joyful  pre- 
sent, seems,  after  all,  the  happiest  of  which  humanity  is 
capable. 

I  had  not  forgotten  the  yarn  promised  me  by  Jack 
Matthews,  and  after  the  chafing  gear  was  all  on,  and  the 
first  few  days  of  bustle,  succeeding  the  departure  from 
port,  had  passed,  I  took  occasion  of  a  quiet  afternoon, 
when  the  quarter-watch  were  gathered  together  in  the  top, 
to  call  upon  my  frien  1  for  the  fulfillment  of  his  promise. 

"  Don't  get  that  old  fellow  yarning,  again ;  he'll  bring 
on  a  head-wind  with  his  tough  stories  that  nobody  be- 
lieves," said  the  captain  of  the  top. 

"  Never  mind,  Harry  ;  more  days,  more  dollars,  you 
know,"  answered  another. 

"  I've  got  more  money  coming  to  me  now  than  1  know 
what  to  do  with.  I'll  have  to  hire  somebody  to  take  care 
of  me  when  we  arc  p.iid  off.  A  light  craft  like  myself 
18 


274  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

would  make  but  poor  headway,  with  such  a  cargo  in  as  I 
shall  have  to  carry  away  from  the  purser." 

"Get  spliced,  Harry,"  sung  out  one  of  the  youngsters 
from  to  leeward,  which  elicited  a  burst  of  laughter,  as,  if 
Harry's  own  tale  was  to  be  believed,  he  had  at  least  half 
a  dozen  wives  then  living  in  as  many  different  places, 
having  made  it  a  point  of  duty  to  "  get  married  and 
settle  down,"  as  he  called  it,  at  the  expiration  of  every 
cruise  for  the  last  fifteen  years. 

"  But  this  ain't  the  yarn,"  I  ventured  to  say. 

"  Well,  if  you'll  promise  not  to  believe  a  word  he  sa^s, 
Charley,  I'll  make  him  tell  it,"  said  Harry,  who  pretended 
to  absolute  authority  in  the  top. 

"  You'd  better  believe  me,  than  look  for  proof,"  sug- 
gested Jack  himself,  as  we  gat1  ered  around  him  to  hear 
the  yarn. 

"And,  now,"  asked  he,  "what  shall  I  tell  you?" 

"  We  want  to  hear  what  is  done  with  the  crews  of 
slavers  that  are  captured." 

So,  taking  in,  as  a  preliminary,  a  huge  quid  of  tobacco, 
Jack  began : 

"  You  know,  boys,  1  was  two  years  in  one  of  the  little 
ten-gun  brigs  which  Johnny  Bull  keeps  on  the  West 
Coast  to  catch  slavers.  In  that  time  we  took  more  than 
twenty  prizes,  and  our  prize  money,  when  we  got  home, 
amounted  to  upward  of  five  hundred  dollars  each. 

"  The  vessels,  if  the  slave  cargo  is  already  on  board, 
are  generally  taken  to  Sierra  Leone ;  while,  if  the}  are 
yet  empty,  they  are  sent  to  St.  Helena.  Most  of  our 
prizes  were  taken  to  the  latter  place,  as  our  cruising 
ground  was  just  between  there  and  Ascension  and  th<? 


WHAT    IS    DONE    WITH      SLAVERS.  275 

Coast.  Many  a  hard  chase  we  used  to  have  after  th* 
slippery  fellows,  for  they  all  sail  like  the  wind,  and  don't 
spare  the  canvas  when  a  cruiser  is  in  their  wake.  A 
stern  chase  is  a  long  chase,  and  mostly  an  unsuccessful 
one  •  and  if  once  one  of  them  got  a  fair  start,  it  was  but 
little  use  to  follow  him  up. 

'*  Our  chief  game  was  to  lay  in  wait  for  a  vessel  that 
our  captain  know,  from  information  received,  would  be  at 
a  certain  point  at  an  appointed  time.  Taking  him  then, 
just  as  he  came  out  from  under  the  land,  they  would 
have  to  heave  to  for  us  in  short  order. 

"  Not  unfrequently,  too,  we  would  come  by  chance, 
during  the  night,  or  in  a  fog,  and  in  light  winds,  upon 
one  of  them,  and  when  daylight  appeared,  or  the  fog 
cleared  off,  the  poor  wret  jh  would  find  himself  under  our 
guns,  with  no  alternative  but  to  back  his  topsail,  and 
receive  our  boat.  If  it  was  calm  and  smooth,  we  would 
bring  the  two  vessels  close  together,  and  then  transfer 
the  crew  to  our  brig,  while  a  prize  crew  took  possession 
of  the  capture,  and  set  sail  for  St.  Helena. 

"The  officers  and  crew  of  a  captured  slaver  are  permit- 
ted to  retain  nothing,  but  a  change  of  clothing ;  all  other 
property  is  forfeited  to  the  captors,  excepting,  however, 
any  provisions  which  the  captain  may  desire  to  bring  on 
board  for  himself  and  crew.  A  thorough  search  is  made, 
as  each  man  steps  on  board,  to  make  sure  that  he  has  no 
money  or  other  valuables  concealed,  as  the  most  ingenious 
devices  are  sometimes  practiced  by  the  old  hands  at  the 
business,  in  their  desire  to  retain  their  property. 

"I  remember  one  captain,  whom  we  captured  four 
times  in  the  course  of  two  years,  and  who  had  no  end  of 


276  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

expedients  to  smuggle  his  property  on  board.  He  got  to 
be  quite  an  old  acquaintance  of  ours,  and  as  he  nut  his 
ill-fortune  with  unflinching  good  humor,  he  was  quite  a 
favorite,  fore  and  aft. 

"  He  would  come  on  board,  segar  in  his  mouth,  and 
shake  the  first  lieutenant  by  the  hand,  declaring,  in  his 
broken  English: 

"  ' '  Pon  honor,  ver  glad  to  see  my  friends,  again.' 

"  He  always  had  a  quantity  of  provisions  to  bring 
aboard  with  him,  and  as  he  divided  with  our  fellows  with 
no  niggard  hand,  we  were  ready  enough  to  help  him  get 
them  in,  and  find  a  place  for  them. 

"  For  the  first  three  times  that  we  took  him,  we  could 
find  no  money  in  his  craft,  which  was  somewhat  strange, 
as  if  the  slave  cargo  is  not  yet  in,  there  is  generally  some 
specie  in  the  lazarette.  Our  first  lieutenant  was  puzzled 
how  to  account  for  the  deficiency,  but  Captain  Xavier 
declared  that  he  was  such  an  unlucky  bird  that  his 
owners  would  not  trust  him  with  specie. 

"At  last  a  bright  idea  struck  the  skipper.     Said  he: 

"  '  If  we  catch  that  rasdSlly  Spaniard  again,  I'll  find 
his  money,  or  I'm  mistaken/ 

"  It  must  have  been  his  very  next  voyage,  when,  a 
thick  fog  clearing  away  one  forenoon,  we  found  to  our 
gratification  an  unmistakable  clipper,  lying  not  half  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  under  our  lee.  On  running  down  along- 
side, we  were  hailed  by  our  nonchalant  friend,  Captain 
Xavier,  who  by  this  time  considered  it  evidently  rather  a 
good  joke  to  be  caught  by  his  friends  in  this  way. 

"After  transferring  his  crew  to  our  vessel,  we  gave  th 
schooner  a  thorough  overhauling,  but  found  no  specie. 


CAPTAIN     XAVIER     S     TRICK.  277 

44  •  It's  no  use,'  said  her  good  natured  captain  *  there'* 
no  money  there — the  bank  was  closed  when  I  sailed.' 

"  Meantime  the  usual  bountiful  supply  of  provisions 
had  been  passed  on  board,  and  among  other  things  seve- 
ral crocks  of  butter.  Upon  these,  Captain  Xavier  seemed 
to  keep  a  particularly  sharp  eye,  urging  us  to  handle 
them  tenderly,  and  not  break  the  jars.  They  were  set 
apart  upon  the  deck,  where  he  took  the  first  opportunity 
to  lash  them,  that  they  might  not  roll  over  with  the  mo- 
tion of  the  vessel. 

*•  This  over  carefulness  aroused  the  suspicions  of  our 
skipper,  who  asked  what  was  in  the  jars. 

'* '  Butter,'  said  our  friend ;  *  I  can't  bear  to  eat  dry 
bread,  and  consider  a  supply  of  good  butter  indispen- 
sable.' i 

"  *  Well,  we  are  just  out ;  suppose  you  let  the  steward 
h:i.ve  a  jar  for  the  cabin.' 

"  The  captain  protested  that  it  was  not  fit  for  cabin 
use ;  that  it  was  rancid ;  that — in  fact,  that  he  did  not 
want  to  part  with  it. 

"  But,  '  Steward,  Captain  Xavier  says  you  may  have  a 
jar  of  butter  for  the  cabin ;  so,  come  and  take  it  away 
immediately,'  was  the  unceremonious  answer. 

"  The  crock  was  no  sooner  in  the  cabin,  than  its  con- 
tents were  emptied — and,  lo  and  behold  !  in  the  bottom 
were  found  fifty  Spanish  doubloons.  We  had  the  cap- 
tain's secret.  Among  his  plentiful  supply  of  provisions, 
he  had  shrewdly  managed  to  stow  away  all  the  cash,  and 
until  the  present  voyage  had  succeeded  in  retaining  it. 
He  was  not  half  so  pleasant  a  man  after  he  had  been 


278  MAN-OF-WAR   LIFE: 

deprived  of  the  balance  of  his  butter  crocks,  in  each  of 
which  was  found  a  moiety  of  gold. 

"  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  slaver's  crew  on  board  the 
cruiser,  they  are  mustered,  to  asceitain  if  any  of  them 
are  Britons.  Of  course  no  one  is  so  foolish  as  to  own  to 
it  if  he  is,  as  the  law  condemns  all  Englishmen  found  in 
that  pursuit,  to  be  hung.  This  is,  however,  not  carried 
into  effect,  but  when,  as  sometimes  ojcurs,  the  English- 
man is  detected,  notwithstanding  his  disguise,  he  is  com- 
pelled to  serve  a  period  of  two  or  three  years  in  the 
cruisers  on  the  Coast,  a  punishment  hard  enough  to  bear 
in  all  faith. 

"The  crew  are  now  taken  to  St.  Helena,  and  there  set 
ashore.  The  British  Government  pays  for  nine  days' 
board  and  lodging  for  each  individual,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period,  they  are  left  to  shift  for  themselves, 
to  get  a  ship  as  best  they  may,  or  to  remain  upon  the 
island — where,  however,  they  are  quite  likely  to  starve, 
for  provisions  are,  at  all  times,  extravagantly  high  there, 
almost  everything  having  to  be  imported  from  the  Cape, 
or  the  neighboring  African  coast. 

"  As  St.  Helena  is  only  a  chance  place  of  call  for  out- 
ward or  homeward-bound  Indiamen,  but  few  vessels 
stopping  there  are  in  want  of  men,  and  often  from  fifty 
to  one  hundred  of  the  slavers'  men  are  gradually  collected 
upon  the  island,  unable  to  get  away.  In  such  cases,  as 
they  are  reokless  characters,  and  might  make  trouble, 
they  are  sent  away  to  the  South  American  coast,  in  ves- 
sels chartered  by  the  Government. 

"While  we  were  yet  on  the  station  there  were  one  hun 
dred  of  as  hard  cases  as  ever  lived,  sent  away  in  this 


SAILORS     AS     PASSENGERS.  279 

manner.     We  heard  afterward  that  they  played  curious 
pranks  on  their  passage  to  Rio  de  Janerio. 

"  It  appears  that  a  captain  of  a  trading  barque  had 
agreed  to  take  them  at  a  certain  sum  per  head,  and  as  he 
was  desirous  to  make  as  good  a  speculation  as  might  be 
out  of  the  trip,  he  had  furnished  for  them  but  very  poor 
provisions,  probably  thinking  that  anything  was  good 
enough  for  a  parcel  of  sailors.  He  plainly  had  no  con- 
ception of  what  a  rough  set  he  would  have  to  deal 
with. 

"  They  had  the  entire  between  decks  to  themselves, 
and  amused  themselves  tolerably  well  for  the  first  two  or 
three  days  out.  By  that  time,  however,  they  had  arrived 
at  the  conviction  that  the  captain  was  not  feeding  them 
half  well  enough.  They  sent  a  committee  to  him.  to 
inform  him  that  as  passengers,  they  wanted  a  better 
quality  of  provisions.  To  this  demand  the  captain 
rashly  gave  an  uncivil  answer,  calling  them  a  parcel  of 
rogues  and  gallows-birds.  This  roused  their  ire,  and 
resolving  that  they  had  been  treated  in  a  very  ungentle- 
manly  manner,  and  that  none  but  gentlemen  ought  to 
occupy  the  position  of  commanders  of  vessels,  they  very 
unceremoniously  deposed  the  officers  of  the  barque,  took 
charge  of  her  themselves,  took  possession  of  the  captain's 
reserved  store  of  provisions,  and  navigated  and  worked 
the  vessel  until  within  a  day's  sail  of  Rio.  There  they 
very  quietly  returned  her  to  the  control  of  her  lawful 
captain,  threatening  him  at  the  same  time  with  a  bloody 
revenge,  if  he  took  steps  in  law  against  them.  Being  a 
prudent  man,  he  said  nothing,  glad  enough,  probably, 
to  get  rid  of  his  passencrofs  on  s;r-h  easy  termg," 
24 


280  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

"  But,  Jack,  what  do  they  do  with  the  vessels  that  ait 
captured  ?" 

"They  beach  them,  and  saw  them  in  two  parts.  If  they 
were  sold,  as  prizes  usually  are,  their  former  owners  would 
be  sure  by  some  means  to  get  them  back  into  their  posses- 
sion, and  thus,  but  little  injury  would  bo  a  cornplished  to 
the  business  of  slaving,  as  it  is  calculated  that  one  safe 
voyage  in  five  will  pay  all  expenses,  and  yield  a  small 
profit,  allowing  for  the  entire  loss  of  the  other  four  vessel* 
and  their  outfits. 

"The  vessels  used  for  carrying  slaves  are,  of  course,  the 
finest  models  in  existence.  No  expense  is  spared  in  their 
construction  and  fitting  out.  It  is,  therefore,  quite  ao 
object  to  prevent  a  vessel  once  caught,  from  getting  back 
into  the  same  trade.  The  only  sure  means  to  effect  this 
object,  is  to  so  completely  destroy  her,  that  she  can  never 
again  be  put  together.  They  are  therefore  dismasted, 
and  stripped  of  all  removable  rigging  and  iron  work. 
Then  the  spars  are  sawed  in  two,  and  the  vessel  is  divided 
in  the  middle,  the  remains  being  sold  for  firewood,  or  such 
other  purposes  as  they  may  be  required  for  on  the  island. 
In  no  case  is  a  portion  allowed  to  be  removed  from  the 
land." 

So  ended  Jack's  yarn. 

I  took  great  interest  in  listening  to  the  plans  of  my 
many  particular  friends,  my  topmates,  and  those  to  whom 
congeniality  of  thought  and  feelings  had  drawn  me  with 
a  closer  bond.  Many  thought  to  go  home.  Back  to  the 
homes  of  their  early  childhood,  whence  they  had  first 
launched  their  barque  upon  the  great  ocean  of  life ;  back 
to  father  ar.d  mother,  sisters  and  brothers,  from  whom 


WE     PLAN      FOR     THE      FUTURE.  28 1 

they  had  be.n  separated  by  long  yeais  of  self  imposed 
exile.  And  as  in  the  fullness  of  anticipated  joy  their 
hearts  opened,  and  they  spoke  of  the  pleasures  of  the 
Ducting  with  the  loved  ones,  of  the  cheerful  fireside,  with 
the  so  long  vacant  seat  now  filled,  of  the  walks  among 
the  trees  where  they  played  in  childhood,  of  the  renewing 
of  old  friendships,  the  living  over  again  the  old  times,  I 
could  not  help  wondering  how  those  who  seemed  capable 
of  so  keen  enjoyment  of  home  pleasures,  could  have 
strayed  away  so  many  years. 

My  plans,  too,  were  laid.  I  had  started  out  to  see  the 
world — and  had  failed  in  accomplishing  my  desire ;  and 
I  would  try  again.  I  would  sail  in  merchant  vessels, 
and  having  a  choice  of  voyages,  would  visit  such  countries 
as  seemed  to  me  most  desirable ;  and  when  I  had  seen  all 
I  wanted,  then  would  I  go  home. 

Ever  since  I  had  been  stationed  in  the  top,  I  had  been 
fitting  myself  to  be  a  merchant  sailor.  By  dint  of  inquiry 
among  the  old  merchant  seamen  on  board,  with  whom  I 
was  always  a  great  favorite,  I  had  familiarized  myself 
with  all  the  details  of  life  on  board  such  vessels,  as  much 
as  it  was  possible  to  do  so  from  mere  hearsay. 

I  had  made  myself  perfect  in  all  those  duties  which  could 
be  learnt  as  well  on  board  a  man-of-war,  as  in  the  mer- 
chant ship.  I  had  learned  to  furl  a  royal,  to  reeve  an 
earing,  could  bend  a  sail  or  send  aloft  a  yard,  do  varioua 
jobs  about  rigging,  and  was,  altogether,  a  very  tolerable 
theoretical  sailor — so  I  flattered  myself. 

As  I  had  made  no  secret  of  my  intention  to  try  t^e 
merchant  service,  several  of  my  own  particular  friends, 
fnr  0](l  fi  s  offcml  t->  take  me  a  voyage  with 


282  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE! 

them,  in  order  to  induct  me  regularly  into  this  now  do 
partment  of  sailor-craft.  But  I  thought  to  try  it  alone, 
being  desirous  to  conceal  the  fact  of  my  having  been  in 
a  man-of-war — something  which,  as  has  been  before  men- 
tioned, is  not  by  any  means  considered  a  recommendation 
in  the  merchant  service. 

Never  did  days  seem  so  long,  as  when,  on  being  about 
to  cross  the  equinoctial  line  for  the  sixth  and  last  time 
during  our  cruise,  we  were  for  nearly  a  week  becalmed. 

"  Blow,  Saint  Antonio,  blow !"  muttered  the  commo- 
dore, as  he  paced  the  poop.  And, 

"  Blow,  good  Devil,  and  you  shall  have  the  cook,"  sang 
the  boatswain,  as  with  impatient  strides  he  walked 
athwart  the  forecastle. 

At  last,  the  >so  much  desired  breeze  came,  and  the  stud- 
ding sails  were  run  up  to  the  yard-arms,  with  a  jerk 
which  threatened  to  carry  away  the  halyards.  Every 
available  stitch  of  canvas  was  put  on  her,  and  when  she 
was  once  more  bounding  through  the  water  before  a  good 
eight-knot  breeze,  we  all  drew  a  long  breath,  as  though 
relieved  of  some  great  load. 

"VVe  left  Eio  in  the  middle  of  January,  and  of  course 
expected  to  meet  some  cold  weather,  on  the  coast  of 
America.  Great  preparations  were  made,  old  flannels 
patched  up,  pea-jackets  mended,  and  a  general  refit  of 
woolen  clothing  had. 

We  h  id  been  so  long  in  warm  weather,  had  found  even 
off  the  Horn  so  little  of  what  might  be  called  cold,  that 
most  of  the  crew  looked  forward  with  some  concern  to  a 
possible  encounter  with  one  of  the  March  gales  on  the 
coast.  It  was,  therefore,  with  no  little  pleasure  that  we 


LINN  HAVEN     BAY.  283 

received  the  news  that  Norfolk,  Virginia,  was  to  be  our 
port,  for  at  that  distance  south,  the  cold  was  not  to  bo 
dreaded. 

A  few  weeks  of  fair  wind  brought  us  into  cooler 
weather ;  and  the  daily  increasing  rarity  of  the  atmos- 
phere, being  an  evidence  of  our  gradual  approach  to  port, 
was  carefully  irarked, 

At  last,  we  struck  the  Gulf ;  and  passing  it,  after  two 
days  beating  about  with  a  head- wind,  made  the  low  beach 
of  Cape  Henry.  Lying  off  and  on  that  night,  we  got  a 
pilot  next  morning,  and  the  succeeding  evening  found  us 
anchored  safely  in  Linnhaven  Bay. 

Now  began  a  scene  of  utter  confusion.  All  discipline 
was  at  an  end.  No  more  quarters  or  muster  ;  no  more 
cleaning  or  dressing.  No  more  scrubbing  decks,  and 
even  no  more  cooking. 

Our  credit  ashore  was  unlimited,  and  who  was  going 
to  eat  "  ship  grub,"  when  boat  loads  of  delicacies  from 
shore  were  brought  off  at  every  meal- time.  Norfolk  is 
celebrated  among  man-of-war's  men  solely  on  account  of 
the  abundance  and  cheapness  of  oysters.  The  colored 
women,  who  bring  off  on  board  all  kinds  of  victuals  for 
the  sailors,  do  not  fail  to  have,  among  other  matters,  a 
plentiful  supply  of  these  shell-fish,  prepared  in  all  the 
known  modes;  and  on  these  the  tars  " bowse  out  their 
kites,"  as  they  call  it,  at  a  great  rate. 

I  said,  our  credit  on  shore  was  unlimited.  And  to  the 
praise  of  our  crew  and  of  sailors  in  general,  be  it  said, 
that  in  no  case  was  this  credit  abused,  although  chancea 
to  do  so  were  not  wanting.  I  never  saw  our  captain  of 
the  top  more  troubled,  during  a  three  years'  cruise,  than 


284  MAN-OF-WAR     LIFE: 

lie  was  on  the  day  he  was  paid  off,  at  being  unable  to 
Mad  au  oil  black  woman  to  wl.om  he  owed  a  dollar,  for 
provisions  b. ought  off  while  we  were  yet  on  board.  He 
hunted  for  her  for  more  than  an  hour,  and  when  at  last 
he  found  her,  it  was  hard  to  tell  which  was  the  happiest, 
the  old  woman  at  getting  her  money,  or  Harry  at  having 
been  enabled  to  pa}r  her. 

Two  days  after  anchoring  in  the  Bay,  we  were  towed 
up  through  the  shipping,  at  anchor  in  the  upper  harbor, 
to  the  Navy  Yard,  where,  hauling  to  the  wharf  at  but 
little  distance  from  that  monster  man-of-war,  the  Penn 
sylvania,  the  work  of  stripping  ship  was  begun. 

It  was  while  being  towed  through  the  fleet  of  small 
shipping  which  at  this  time  densely  crowded  the  harbo  • 
of  Norfolk,  that  I,  for  the  first  time,  got  a  distinct  idea 
of  the  vastness  of  the  structure  which  had  been  my  horn  * 
for  nearly  three  years.  This  was  the  only  time,  in  the 
entire  cruise,  that  we  passed  sufficiently  near  to  a  mer- 
chant vessel,  to  allow  us  to  make  an  estimate  of  the  size 
of  our  craft,  by  comparing  her  with  others.  Our  enor- 
mous hull  loomed  up  among  the  little  craft  against  whose 
sides  we  rubbed  as  we  glided  between  their  narrow  tiers, 
like  a  leviathan  among  little  fishes.  A  tolerably  large 
schooner's  maintopmast  passed  under  our  mainyard  with- 
out touching,  and  the  men  on  our  foreyard,  ready  to  bear 
off  should  we  be  like  to  come  in  contact,  were  on  a  leve* 
with  the  royalyards  of  a  large  barque  which  we  passed. 
Custom  had  caused  us  to  forget,  in  a  short  time  after 
coming  on  board,  this  great  difference  in  sizes,  and  it  was 
thought  no  more  to  run  to  the  royal  masthead,  on  board 


PAYING     OFF.  235 

our  seventy-four,  than  it  would  be  to  go  to  the  same 
place  on  board  a  diminutive  merchant  barque. 

Our  ship's  company  being  so  large,  it  was  judged  ex- 
pedient to  pay  us  off  in  two  parties.  Accordingly,  one 
half  of  the  crew  was  sent  ashore  on  the  next  day  after 
we  hauled  to  the  Navy  Yard  wharf,  while  the  balance, 
among  whom  I  found  myself,  were  kept  on  board  to  strip 
ship — that  is,  to  take  down  the  lightest  of  the  top-ham- 
per, send  down  the  topgallantmasts,  and  topmasts,  and 
topsail  and  lower  yards.  The  rest  of  this  labor  is  left  to 
the  dockyard  men.  Stripping  ship  is  pleasant  work,  in- 
asmuch as  it  proclaims  the  conclusion  of  the  cruise. 
Everything  is  sent  down  by  the  run,  and  "  a  sharp  knife 
and  a  clear  conscience  "  is  the  word. 

At  last — at  last — the  long  wished  for  day  came,  on 
which  we  were  to  leave  the  ship.  When,  on  the  even- 
ing previous,  as  I  took  a  last  walk  about  the  now  deserted 
decks,  a  final  look  up  aloft,  where  now  everything  was 
dismantled,  I  felt — I. must  confess  it — as  though  I  were 
about  to  depart  from  my  home.  The  moment  to  which  I 
had  looked  forward  so  long,  and  with  so  much  eagerness, 
was  come ;  but  the  gladness  which  I  had  anticipated  I 
would  feel  at  this  consummation  so  devoutly  wished  for, 
was  not  there. 

All  the  pleasures  of  the  voyage  came  rushing  athwart 
my  memory.  The  remembrance  even  of  the  many  de- 
privations and  positive  sufferings  of  our  long  cruise, 
seemed  to  loom  up  before  me  with  a  pleasant  sort 
of  indistinctness,  and  I  regarded  the  old  craft,  the 
scene  of  many,  to  me  eventful,  passages  in  my  life,  with 


28(3  MAN-OF-WAR    LIF^ 

a  feeling  of  affection  which  I  had  never  before  experi- 
enced. 

I  was  not  alone.  Old  tars,  and  young  lads,  all  were 
walking  about,  taking  their  leave  of  the  various  familiar 
objects  and  places  about  d'jcks.  Here  was  a  powder-boy, 
holding  up  to  the  light,  for  the  last  time,  his  bright 
priming-wires.  There,  a  gray-beard  seaman  was  brush- 
ing the  dust  off  his  cutlass,  and  placing  it  carefully  in 
the  rack,  overhead.  Some  ascended  to  the  tops,  where  so 
many  pleasant  hours  had  been  spent,  during  the  past 
three  years,  and  sat  down  sorrowfully  in  the  old  places, 
to  have  "  another  yarn  ;"  while  yet  others  fidgeted  about 
decks,  evidently  feeling  themselves  sadly  out  of  place, 
and  more  than  half  wishing  the  good  old  craft  was  yet 
off  the  Horn. 

The  next  morning,  the  final  leave-taking  came,  and  we 
gathered  bags  and  hammocks,  and  went  ashore — -free  at 
last.  Then  first  came  the  full  realization  of  the  fact  that 
I  was  once  more  my  own  master,  and  with  the  feeling,  I 
half  involuntarily  straightened  myself,  and  threw  back 
my  shoulders,  as  though  to  fling  off  the  long -borne  yoke. 
I  felt  as  though  no  consideration  in  the  world  could  induce 
me  to  ship  in  the  Navy  again.  I  had  had  a  surfeit  of 
bondage. 


14  DAY  USE 


FE 


